Baker Mayfield fires back at Falcons beat writer, Kevin Stefanski over ‘dumpster fire’ label

Kevin Stefanski went 45-56 in six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. While that includes two playoff berths, it also includes some brutal seasons, many of which were marked by the team’s inability to find stability at quarterback.

That’s perhaps part of why Stefanski was in such high demand following his firing, a presumption that he never had the weapons to succeed. The Atlanta Falcons, who hired him last week, are of the mind that they can give Stefanski the tools he needs to create a long-term winner.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, the Falcons beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, seems to agree with that sentiment, publishing a piece titled “Falcons’ Kevin Stefanski had a dumpster fire at quarterback in Cleveland” on Tuesday.

Among the quarterbacks that Ledbetter called out in his piece were Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was the Browns’ starter when Stefanski was hired before the 2020 season. The Browns went to the playoffs in 2020 and just missed out in 2021. The fourth-year quarterback suffered a right knee contusion towards the end of that season, and Stefanski shut him down before announcing he would undergo surgery. While there were questions surrounding Mayfield’s future with the Browns, it came as a shock when the franchise traded for controversial QB Deshaun Watson and subsequently traded Mayfield to the Panthers.

After bouncing around the NFL for a couple of seasons, Mayfield landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and rejuvenated his career, throwing for 41 touchdowns in 2024 and leading the team to two playoff appearances.

Meanwhile, Watson’s tenure turned out to be a true disaster for Cleveland, who are now deciding whether or not to invest in Shedeur Sanders as their new starter.

Mayfield, who is entering the last year of his deal with Tampa Bay, caught wind of Ledbetter’s article on X and offered a harsh rebuttal, not just to being called a “dumpster fire,” but also taking a shot at Stefanski over the way he was treated.

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

“Failed is quite the reach pal,” wrote Mayfield. “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.”

There’s a bit of irony, given that Mayfield once called a report of tension between him and Stefanski “clickbait.”

Regardless, you better believe that NFL fans will be waiting with bated breath for the first Buccaneers-Falcons game next season.