The Atlanta Falcons have their new head coach, and it’s a name that will ring a few bells-especially down in Tampa Bay. Kevin Stefanski, the former Browns head coach, is heading to the NFC South to take over in Atlanta. And with that move comes a juicy subplot: Stefanski will now face off twice a year against his old quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who's found new life leading the Buccaneers.
Stefanski and Mayfield shared the sidelines in Cleveland during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, a partnership that started with promise but ultimately unraveled. And if there was any doubt about lingering tension, Mayfield erased it with a pointed social media post that made waves on Tuesday.
After spotting a post that labeled him a failure in Cleveland and described the Browns’ quarterback room as a “dumpster fire” Stefanski had to manage, Mayfield fired back in classic Baker fashion:
“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.”
That’s not just a tweet-it’s a statement. And Mayfield isn’t wrong to push back on the idea that he was a failure in Cleveland.
In 2020, he helped guide the Browns to an 11-5 record and their first playoff berth in nearly two decades. He didn’t just get them there-he helped them win their first postseason game since 1994, knocking off the Steelers in the Wild Card round.
That season was a high-water mark for a franchise that had been searching for stability at quarterback for years.
But things soured quickly. In 2021, Mayfield battled through a shoulder injury and the Browns stumbled to a 6-8 record with him under center.
That offseason, the team made a blockbuster move, trading for Deshaun Watson and handing him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal-one of the most controversial and, in hindsight, questionable trades in recent memory. Watson has struggled to stay on the field, never playing more than seven games in a season since arriving in Cleveland, and holds a 9-10 record as a starter.
Meanwhile, Mayfield was left twisting in the wind. He never heard from Stefanski after the team moved on, and that silence clearly still stings.
His path back wasn’t easy-he was traded to the Panthers in 2022 but lasted just six starts before being released. A short stint with the Rams followed, and then the Buccaneers gave him a shot with a one-year prove-it deal.
That bet paid off. In 2023, Mayfield posted career highs with 4,044 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions.
That performance earned him a multi-year extension, and he raised the bar again in 2024, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Since arriving in Tampa, he’s gone 27-24 as a starter and led the team to back-to-back NFC South titles.
That’s not just a bounce back-it’s a full-blown resurgence.
Now, with Stefanski in Atlanta and Mayfield entrenched in Tampa, the NFC South just got a whole lot more interesting. These two will see each other twice a year, and you can bet those matchups will carry more than just playoff implications. There’s personal history here, and Mayfield doesn’t forget.
The Falcons are hoping Stefanski can bring some of the offensive structure he once implemented in Cleveland to a team that’s been searching for direction. But make no mistake-every time Stefanski lines up against the Bucs, he’ll be facing more than just a division rival. He’ll be facing a quarterback with a long memory and something to prove.
Circle those Falcons-Buccaneers games on your calendar. This one’s personal.