Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield doesn’t shy away from old wounds, and this week he made that crystal clear with a pointed message aimed at his former head coach.
According to ESPN, shortly after the Atlanta Falcons announced Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, Mayfield took to social media to respond to a local reporter’s claim that both he and Deshaun Watson had “failed” during their time in Cleveland.
Mayfield didn’t agree with that framing — and he made sure Stefanski saw it.
“Failed is quite the reach pal,” Mayfield wrote on X (formerly Twitter), before following up with a more personal jab. He added that he’s “still waiting on a text/call” from Stefanski after being “shipped off like a piece of garbage,” then closed with a reminder of what’s coming next season: “Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.”
The history between Mayfield and Stefanski dates back to their time together with the Cleveland Browns during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. That stretch included a playoff run in the 2020 season, but it was also marked by inconsistency, injuries, and mounting tension behind the scenes.
When Cleveland opted to pursue Watson during the 2022 offseason, Mayfield requested a trade, effectively ending his tenure with the team.
Cleveland dealt Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick, a move that didn’t provide the reset either side hoped for. After an uneven run, Mayfield was released and briefly resurfaced with the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2022 season before finding longer-term stability in Tampa Bay.
Since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, Mayfield has rebuilt his reputation, guiding the team to back-to-back NFC South titles. Tampa Bay finished 8–9 this past season and missed the playoffs.
Stefanski, meanwhile, arrives in Atlanta after being dismissed by Cleveland earlier this month. A two-time AP Coach of the Year, he closed his Browns tenure with an 8–26 record over his final two seasons. He replaces Raheem Morris, whose departure opened the door for a divisional shake-up.