Kevin Stefanski Responds to Baker Mayfield Saying Browns Shipped QB Off 'Like a Piece of Garbage'

Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski took the high road after being called out by former quarterback Baker Mayfield.

During his introductory press conference with Atlanta on Tuesday, Stefanski told reporters he respects Mayfield "as a player and as a person" and didn't go beyond that. He also sees this as adding some spice to the Falcons' existing rivalry with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Mayfield took an unexpected shot at Stefanski earlier this month and asserted he got "got shipped off like a piece of garbage" by the Cleveland Browns in 2022:

Moving Mayfield on was obviously a mistake by Cleveland, a catastrophic one when factoring in how it paved the way for the Deshaun Watson trade.

The Browns weren't the only team that had a harsh evaluation of the eventual two-time Pro Bowler, though. The Carolina Panthers cut him midway through the 2022 season after they went 1-5 in his six starts. Upon signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023, it wasn't immediately clear whether he'd beat out Kyle Trask for the starting job.

Still, the way in which his Browns exit was handled continues to rankle Mayfield, and he probably doesn't look back on his four years in Cleveland as a whole all that fondly. The team cycled through multiple coaches and offensive coordinators during that period, and being a No. 1 overall pick meant Mayfield was always a lightning rod for takes.

Most probably assumed the 30-year-old had put all of that behind him thanks to the renaissance he has enjoyed with the Bucs.

Instead, Stefanski's decision to take the Atlanta job indirectly opened up some old wounds.