On January 20, 2026, Baker Mayfield responded publicly to news of Kevin Stefanski becoming head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, writing that he was “shipped off like a piece of garbage” and was “still waiting on a text/call” from Stefanski after his departure from the Cleveland Browns.¹ The statement framed his 2022 exit as unilateral dismissal.

Six days later, longtime Buccaneers columnist Ira Kaufman offered a counterpoint during a January 26 appearance on Mad Dog Unleashed.²

“I’ve heard some stories coming out of Cleveland from people that covered the team,” Kaufman said. “That said that Mayfield asked for a trade and that he wasn’t thrown out and dumped by Stefanski. There might be two sides to the story.”²

The documented timeline supports that complexity.

Mayfield was selected first overall in 2018 and started 59 games for Cleveland.³ In 2020, under Stefanski, the Browns went 11–5 and defeated Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round, the franchise’s first playoff win since 1994.³ Stefanski was named AP NFL Coach of the Year.³

In 2021, Mayfield suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 and played through it.³ His passer rating declined from 95.9 in 2020 to 83.1 in 2021, and Cleveland finished 8–9.³ Kaufman addressed that season directly: “The fact was he tried to play through an injury in 2021 and it didn’t work out.”²

In March 2022, Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson. Shortly afterward, Mayfield requested a trade.³ He was dealt to Carolina in July 2022.³ The Browns did not release him; they traded him after acquiring a replacement.³

Mayfield’s January 2026 tweet implied abandonment without communication.¹ Kaufman’s reporting suggests the separation may have been mutual, not one-sided.²

Days later, Mayfield appeared to moderate his tone in a Sports Illustrated interview, describing the situation as competitive rather than hostile and downplaying the notion of a lingering feud with Stefanski.⁴ That shift complicates the narrative of organizational betrayal.

The Cleveland episode resurfaced as Mayfield enters the final year of his contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.² Kaufman noted the franchise has not extended him despite his career-high 41 touchdown passes in 2024.²⁵

“They want to see more,” Kaufman said. “They want to see if he’s the guy from 2024 that threw 41 touchdowns, or the guy that threw nine touchdowns in the last eight games. And I don’t blame the Glazers for that.”²

Mayfield’s late-season production dip has become part of Tampa Bay’s evaluation process.⁵ The Buccaneers face a decision: extend a quarterback entering his age-31 season, or require another full year of sustained performance before committing long-term.

The record shows a 2020 playoff breakthrough, a 2021 injury decline, a 2022 trade request, a 2026 social media critique, and a subsequent softening of tone.³⁴

Whether Mayfield is mischaracterizing events or simply expressing unresolved frustration depends on perspective. What is measurable is this: Cleveland traded him after acquiring Watson, and Tampa Bay has not yet committed beyond 2026.

In both cases, organizational caution has followed quarterback volatility.

Sources

1. Baker Mayfield post on X regarding Kevin Stefanski, January 20, 2026.

2. Chris Russo and Ira Kaufman, Mad Dog Unleashed, SiriusXM, January 26, 2026.

3. Baker Mayfield Cleveland Browns tenure statistics and transaction timeline, Pro-Football-Reference.com.

4. Baker Mayfield interview, Sports Illustrated, January 2026.

5. Baker Mayfield 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers statistics, Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Baker Mayfield with the Cleveland Browns during the 2021 season. (Photo: William DeShazer / Associated Press)

Baker Mayfield’s Cleveland Story Faces Pushback — And Tampa Bay Isn’t Committing Yet