Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield unleashes on his former coach, and now rival, revealing a stinging snub and fueled by perceived betrayal. Get ready for fireworks twice a year.
Kevin Stefanski probably isn't getting a Christmas card from Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield and Stefanski worked together for two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
The first season went quite well, with Mayfield leading Cleveland to its first playoff win since before Art Modell moved the original Browns to Baltimore (1995).
The next season didn't go as well. Mayfield played hurt for most of the year, and the Browns finished 8-9.
Then DeShaun Watson happened.
In a move that looked like an overpay at the time and turned into arguably one of the worst deals in the history of sports, Cleveland gave up a trio of first-round picks for Watson, who ended up starting 19 games over three seasons and losing more than he won (9-10).
That's not a horrible record for a Browns quarterback, but considering what Cleveland gave up to get Watson and the contract the Browns signed him to ($230 million, fully guaranteed, over five years) ... yeah, it wasn't good.
Stefanski wasn't the one who decided to trade for Watson, nor was he the one who pulled the trigger on an extension.
It's also been reported that Stefanski wasn't in favor of the move.
But Mayfield is still mad at him.
Why? According to Mayfield, it's because Stefanski never reached out to him after things ended in Cleveland.
"Failed is quite the reach, pal," Mayfield responded to an X post, claiming Stefanski failed in Cleveland. "Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach."
Mayfield will be seeing Stefanski two times a year because the latter is now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Some will argue that Mayfield should get over it.
Since leaving Cleveland, Mayfield has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, made it to the postseason twice, and won a playoff game.
Although Cleveland did make the playoffs in 2023 -- and Stefanski won his second NFL Coach of the Year award -- the Browns lost by 31 points in the first round, and proceeded to go a combined 8-26 over the next two seasons, with Stefanski getting fired at the end of the second one.
Although Mayfield is winning the beef right now, football fans love drama, and Mayfield showed he can provide that, even with his next game almost eight months away.
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