Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Hasn't Spoken to Former Coach in 5 Years

Baker Mayfield left the Cleveland Browns in 2021 under some dubious circumstances.

After getting drafted by Cleveland with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield would be the franchise guy until the team traded for former Houston Texans superstar Deshaun Watson and traded Mayfield away to the Carolina Panthers.

Oct 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski watches from the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This would be the start of an odyssey that would see Mayfield go through many struggles before finding his place once more as the franchise quarterback of the Buccaneers. The head coach who started this whole journey was none other than the current Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Stefanski was the head coach of the Browns at the time of Mayfield's departure and was one of the head decision-makers to send Mayfield packing.

Oct 25, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) on the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When asked about facing his former coach and current Falcons Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and if their familiarity with each other will have any impact on this week's game, Mayfield kept it curt.

Baker Mayfield Hasn't Spoken to Kevin Stefanski

"No, I haven't spoken to him since 2021," Mayfield told the media.

When asked on whether the way things ended between him and Stefanski in Cleveland still 'eats at him, Mayfield didn't seem bothered.

"No, I'm doing alright," He said.

Now this is true that Mayfield is doing better than "alright" — he's the franchise quarterback of a new team and is making the most money ever in his career. However, Mayfield is also a man who has been known not to forget, so he could have a bigger chip on his shoulder than normal going into this upcoming game.

The team is also eager to get their first home win of the season after starting out 0-4.

"Very eager. We talked about that this morning. We haven't won a home game yet. It's not just about that — obviously, this division game is extremely important, but [we] definitely need to get our mojo back at home."

It would be a very poetic situation if Mayfield were to exact a small amount of revenge on the coach who cast him aside in Cleveland and prove him even slightly wrong that he bet on the wrong player.

The only other time Mayfield has played against a Stefanski team was when he was with the Carolina Panthers and Stefanski was still with the Browns. Mayfield came up short in that matchup, but this is a chance at redemption.

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