On Saturday night, the Atlanta Falcons hired former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski for the same role.
Stefanski is trying to put the mess he made with the Browns behind him with his new venture. However, a critical mistake he made could come back to haunt him in the NFC South.
Stefanski and the Browns decided to give up on quarterback Baker Mayfield during the 2022 offseason when they traded for Deshaun Watson. Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers a year after the 2018 No. 1 pick led the Browns to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round for the 2020 season.
After a bumpy pivot with the Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield has become a sold starting quarterback in the league, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to divisional championships in 2023 and 2024.
Baker Mayfield hasn’t forgotten about Kevin Stefanksi
Mayfield hasn’t forgotten how the Browns treated him, and he still seems sore about it. Mayfield responded to a post on X from Atlanta Journal-Constitution Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter. Ledbetter suggested Mayfield “failed” during his time and Cleveland and was part of the “dumpster fire” of quarterbacks Stefanski was unfortunate to have to deal with.
Mayfield sent a fiery response to Ledbetter and Stefanski, saying he couldn’t wait to play the Falcons twice a year. He claimed Stefanski has not contacted him since the trade in 2022.
“Failed is quite the reach pal,” Mayfield wrote. “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.”