Baker Mayfield Renews Feud With Kevin Stefanski As NFC South Showdown Looms

The NFL offseason is notorious for stirring up drama, but few storylines have the bite and history of the renewed feud between Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski. Their paths, once intertwined in Cleveland, are now set to collide twice a year in the NFC South, with Stefanski taking the reins in Atlanta and Mayfield still determined to prove his worth in Tampa Bay. The sparks are already flying, and the season hasn’t even kicked off.

Let’s rewind the tape. In 2018, the Cleveland Browns made Baker Mayfield the No. 1 overall pick, hoping he’d be the franchise quarterback to finally end years of futility. The early years were rocky—three head coaches in as many seasons—but hope arrived in 2020 when Kevin Stefanski was hired to replace Freddie Kitchens. That year, everything clicked: Mayfield led the Browns to an 11-5 record and their first playoff appearance since 2002, even notching a wild-card win. Stefanski, in his first year as an NFL head coach, earned Coach of the Year honors. For a moment, it seemed Cleveland’s long football nightmare was over.

But as quickly as the Browns rose, things unraveled. The 2021 season was marred by injuries and internal strife. Mayfield played through a torn shoulder, the team sputtered to a 6-8 record, and whispers of change grew louder. According to the facts, "the Browns, in a deal that still haunts them, went shopping for what they thought was a better alternative in Deshaun Watson." The front office, led by Stefanski and Paul DePodesta, traded a king’s ransom—three first-round picks and more—to the Houston Texans for Watson, then handed him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. It was a move that would define the franchise for years, but not in the way they hoped.

Mayfield, meanwhile, was left in limbo. As the facts show, "Stefanski proceeded to let Mayfield dangle in the wind for 4 months before trading him to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth round pick in July 2022—football purgatory." Mayfield’s Carolina stint was brief and brutal: a 1-5 record as starter, then a release. But this wasn’t the end. Claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield engineered a stunning come-from-behind win just days after joining the team. It was a flash of the old magic. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in need of a quarterback after Tom Brady’s retirement, gave him a shot in 2023 with a one-year, $3 million deal.

Mayfield seized the opportunity. He led the Bucs to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, even winning a wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Buccaneers rewarded him with a three-year, $100 million contract, cementing his status as their starter. Although the team narrowly missed the division crown in 2025, Mayfield’s resilience and leadership had revitalized his career. As reported, "Mayfield led the Buccaneers to division titles in 2023 and 2024 and narrowly missed the 2025 division title on the last weekend of the regular season."

Back in Cleveland, the Watson experiment turned disastrous. Watson’s tenure began with an 11-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, and he missed 49 of 68 regular season games in his first four years, including the entire 2025 season with a torn Achilles. The Browns’ gamble had backfired spectacularly. Stefanski, after a 5-12 campaign in 2024, was fired, finishing his Cleveland tenure with a 45-56 record in 101 games. The Browns, once again, were searching for answers.

But the NFL is nothing if not a league of second chances. The Atlanta Falcons, eager for a fresh start, moved quickly to hire Stefanski on a five-year deal. He inherits a roster featuring young talents like quarterback Michael Penix and running back Bijan Robinson. Meanwhile, Mayfield remains entrenched as the leader in Tampa Bay. The stage was set for a new chapter in their relationship—but it wouldn’t take long for the old wounds to resurface.

The spark came on January 20, 2026. D. Orlando Ledbetter, Falcons beat writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, tweeted: "Falcons’ Kevin Stefanski had a dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland—Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson failed, which started a chain reaction to 11 other starters. QB Shedeur Sanders closed out last season with seven starts." Mayfield, never one to let a slight go unanswered, fired back: "Failed is quite the reach pal. 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’s response was direct, emotional, and undeniably personal. The quote, verified across multiple reports, encapsulates years of frustration. According to Fox News, "Mayfield said he was cast out of the Browns like 'garbage' despite being the first overall pick and leading the team to the playoffs in 2020, Stefanski's first year as head coach." The message is clear: Mayfield hasn’t forgotten, and he’s eager for payback.

The NFL world took notice. Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on X, "The NFC South just got more spicy." NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added, "Falcons-Bucs Round 1 just got a national TV audience." Fans and pundits alike are circling the Falcons-Buccaneers matchups on their calendars. The rivalry, once dormant, is now must-see TV. As one reporter put it, "Mayfield may have grown, but it’s quite apparent he possesses a long memory which could make Falcons-Buccaneers matchups next season must-see TV."

For his part, Stefanski has yet to publicly respond to Mayfield’s comments. He’s focused on his new role in Atlanta, where he’ll look to develop Penix and Robinson and guide the Falcons back to contention. But the shadow of Cleveland—and his relationship with Mayfield—will loom large, at least until these two face off on the field.

Meanwhile, the Browns continue their search for a new head coach, hoping to finally stabilize a franchise that has cycled through coaches and quarterbacks at a dizzying pace. General manager Andrew Berry remains, but the rest of the leadership that orchestrated the Watson trade is gone.

As for Mayfield, he enters the 2026 season in a contract year, with his future in Tampa Bay uncertain but his motivation at an all-time high. The Buccaneers, with Mayfield under center, are poised to compete in a wide-open NFC South, and the added drama with Atlanta only raises the stakes.

So, as the NFL calendar turns and training camps approach, one thing is certain: the Mayfield-Stefanski saga isn’t finished. If anything, it’s just getting started. The next chapter will play out under the bright lights, with both men looking to prove they were right all along. Get the popcorn ready—this rivalry is only heating up.