Baker Mayfield Calls Out Kevin Stefanski Over Cleveland Browns Breakup

The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of a head coaching search after firing Kevin Stefanski.

Stefanski wasted no time landing on his feet, as he was hired as the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Now Stefanski’s old quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is dropping truth bombs on what really happened during their time together with the Browns.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, who covers the Falcons, posted on X that Stefanski “had a dumpster fire” at quarterback during his time with the Browns as Mayfield and Deshaun Watson failed, starting a chain reaction to 11 other quarterbacks getting starts in Cleveland.

Mayfield seemingly took offense to being called a failure in Cleveland, replying with his own post.

“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.”

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. https://t.co/jUUsYkvlOC
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) January 20, 2026

After Cleveland’s disastrous 2021 season, the Browns set out on a voyage to upgrade their quarterback position. Watson was the white whale that Browns general manager Andrew Berry was chasing – and Stefanski boarded the plane to go recruit the controversial quarterback.

After a rollercoaster ride landed Watson with the Browns in, Mayfield was awkwardly traded to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional draft pick.

Mayfield has since resurrected his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As he points out, he’s looking forward to facing Stefanski twice per year in the NFC South. But hearing that Stefanski never texted or called his young quarterback is a bit telling.

Mayfield's time in Cleveland wasn't a failure

During the 2020 season, Mayfield and Stefanski delivered Browns owner Jimmy Haslam his first winning season since buying the team in 2013. When the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Playoffs, it felt like the start of something special in Cleveland.

But Mayfield’s torn labrum completely ruined the following season and derailed any momentum the Browns were building towards as an organization.

They jettisoned Mayfield before his fifth-year option and miscalculated how long Watson would be suspended, which ended up being a whopping 11 games.

Ironically, Stefanski walks into a similar situation with the Falcons. Michael Penix Jr. is entering his third season in the NFL, but there’s no guarantee that he’s the franchise quarterback in Atlanta. When Stefanski arrived in Cleveland, Mayfield was entering his third season and had similar questions.

Everything seemed right with Stefanski and Mayfield in 2020. It felt like the Browns had finally found that coach and quarterback combination that they had been desperately searching for. But that was a fleeting moment in Browns history.

According to Mayfield, the relationship that was never mended.