By the time new Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski became current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s head coach on the Cleveland Browns in 2020, he was Mayfield’s third head coach in 3 years since the moribund franchise took him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
That’s to say — a lot had happened before Stefanski ever was hired to replace Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after one season after he replaced Hue Jackson, who was the head coach when Mayfield was selected.
Now, the 2 seasons Mayfield and Stefanski spent together in Cleveland may have ended up planting the seed for one of the great NFL rivalries we will get in 2026.
The inciting incident was a tweet from Atlanta-Journal Constitution Falcons reporter D. Orlando Ledbetter.
“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,” Ledbetter wrote on Tuesday. “QB Shedeur Sanders closed out last season with seven starts.”
Enter Mayfield.
“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.”
With the NFC South seemingly totally up for grabs in 2026, these kind of beefs are the stuff football fans dream about. The intricacies of Mayfield’s hatred for Stefanski are far-reaching and seem more suited for a prime-time TV drama than anything else.
From Mayfield’s point of view, Stefanski tried to ruin his career. After Stefanski was hired by the Falcons shortly after he was fired by the Browns after 6 seasons, Mayfield now might finally get a chance to return the favor.
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