Kevin Stefanski has responded to Baker Mayfield after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback viciously attacked his former coach on social media last week.Â
Mayfield accused the new Atlanta Falcons head coach of treating him ‘like a piece of garbage’ during their time together with the Cleveland Browns.
The Buccaneers quarterback spent two seasons under Stefanski in Cleveland, where they amassed a 17-13 record together while making it to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs in 2020.
Yet after a disappointing 2021 season, which saw the 8-9 Browns miss out on the postseason entirely, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2022 following the arrival of Deshaun Watson at Huntington Bank Field.
After a reporter recently said Stefanski had to deal with a ‘dumpster fire at quarterback’ in Cleveland, Mayfield went on a tirade on social media.
But, speaking on Tuesday, Stefanski took the high road and was just full of praise for his former player.Â
Kevin Stefanski has responded to Baker Mayfield after the Bucs star’s social media outburst
Mayfield accused the new Falcons coach of treating him ‘like a piece of garbage’ in Cleveland
‘Baker’s somebody that I have a ton of respect for as a player and a person,’ Stefanski said.
‘I love rivalries in sports and obviously Buccaneers-Falcons have a great rivalry. It’s something that I’m excited about, but I would not get into the specifics of those type of things other than to say I have a ton of respect for Baker as a player, as a person.Â
‘That’s a great team with a great player.’Â
In the wake of the Falcons hiring Stefanski earlier this month, legendary Falcons reporter D. Orlando Ledbetter published a story for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday which claimed their new coach had a ‘dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland’ and that both Mayfield and Watson ‘failed’ at quarterback.
But the Bucs star replied to Ledbetter on X: ‘Failed is quite the reach pal. Still waiting on a text/call from [Stefanski] after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.’
With Tampa Bay and Atlanta both in the NFC South, Mayfield and Stefanski will be set for two awkward reunions in the 2026 season.
The pair enjoyed success together in the 2020 campaign, earning Cleveland’s first playoff victory for 26 years after a Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.Â
They were ultimately beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional game, before the Browns went 8-9 the following year as Mayfield battled a shoulder injury that required surgery.Â
In the subsequent offseason, the franchise handed a staggering five-year, $230million contract to Watson after trading three first-round picks and several other draft assets to the Houston Texans for the three-time Pro Bowler.
The pair had success together in the 2020 campaign but the relationship eventually soured
Stefanski was unveiled with team owner Arthur M. Blank and president of football Matt Ryan
With a new starter in town, Mayfield was traded to Carolina before requesting his own release in December 2022 after going 1-5.Â
The former Oklahoma and Texas Tech signal caller was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, where he enjoyed a successful five-game stint which he has claimed rejuvenated his career before heading to Tampa.
Across three years with the Bucs, Mayfield has emerged as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, registering 12,237 passing yards for 37 touchdowns while going 27-24.Â
The 2025 campaign, which saw Tampa Bay go 8-9, was his first losing season with the team. Stefanski, meanwhile, only put up one winning season with the Browns in the four which followed after Mayfield’s exit.
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Kevin Stefanski breaks his silence on Baker Mayfield’s astonishing social media outburst on new Falcons coach