Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski are about to meet as NFC South rivals, but the tension between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and his former Cleveland Browns coach dates back to their abrupt separation in 2022. Mayfield has previously accused Stefanski of failing to contact him after the Browns traded him away. Now, ahead of their first matchup as division rivals, Mayfield has revealed that the two have not spoken in years.
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“No, I haven’t spoken to him since 2021,” Mayfield told reporters when asked about his relationship with Stefanski. Asked whether the situation still bothered him, the quarterback added, “No, I’m doing alright. Alright.”
The comments come before Sunday’s game in Tampa, where Stefanski will lead the Atlanta Falcons against the Buccaneers for the first time since taking Atlanta’s head-coaching job in January. Mayfield and Stefanski know each other well from their time in Cleveland, and things have been tense between them since then. Mayfield had more to say about his former coach earlier this year.
Cleveland picked Mayfield first overall in 2018, and the quarterback played under Stefanski for two seasons. Their best year together came in 2020. The Browns finished 11-5 that season and won their first playoff game since 1994.
The Browns reached the divisional round before their season ended. Things went downhill in 2021, as injuries and inconsistent performances contributed to an 8-9 finish.
Cleveland then turned its attention to Deshaun Watson and traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in July 2022. Mayfield eventually landed with the Los Angeles Rams before joining Tampa Bay. Things worked out well with the Buccaneers, where he earned Pro Bowl honors and helped the team win the NFC South in both 2023 and 2024.
The old frustration came back in January when an Atlanta reporter called Mayfield and Watson failures while discussing Cleveland’s struggles to find a reliable quarterback. Mayfield pushed back on social media, writing, “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.”
Stefanski, meanwhile, has avoided escalating the dispute. After the post drew attention, he said he had a great deal of respect for Mayfield as both a player and a person. On Wednesday, he again praised the quarterback’s ability ahead of Sunday’s game.
“He’s still a playmaker,” Stefanski said. “No play is ever over. He’s just going to constantly make plays down the field. He can run. He’s extremely talented.”
Mayfield has also softened the tone of his criticism since January. During a Super Bowl LX interview with Sports Illustrated, Mayfield said, “There’s stuff there, but it’s not like it’s beef.” He added that knowing someone well can make competing against them feel more personal.
He also said the game against Atlanta was not really about revenge. Mayfield pointed to Tampa Bay’s goal of winning back the NFC South after its four-year run at the top of the division ended.
The two have not been in contact since 2021, leaving some history between them ahead of Sunday’s game on November 1. Mayfield’s latest comments suggest he is ready to move on, but the matchup gives him a chance to face his former coach on the field.