Browns' Kevin Stefanski Praises Baker Mayfield: 'I Think the Sky's the Limit'

Cleveland Browns new head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't exactly dialing back expectations for quarterback Baker Mayfield.

"He's the quarterback," Stefanski said, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. "He's the trigger man. ... I'm looking forward to hunker down with him and get to work. ... I think the sky's the limit for the kid."

The coach added he expects Mayfield to take a "jump" in his third season. 

"I really think this kid (Baker) has a chance to take off," he said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I've talked to Odell...We'll be multiple, explosive."

Mayfield will need to take a jump if the Browns are going to compete in 2020.

After all, his presence under center was a primary reason expectations were so high heading into the 2019 campaign. He flashed his potential as a rookie by completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions but struggled to replicate that impact as a second-year player even though the offense added Odell Beckham Jr.

With Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Nick Chubb as surrounding weapons, Mayfield completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

The Browns finished 6-10 as arguably the biggest disappointment in the entire league.

Enter Stefanski, who was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 until 2019. He was the offensive coordinator this past season after serving as the quarterbacks coach in 2017 and 2018, and Minnesota reached the second round of the playoffs while finishing eighth in the league in points per game.

He worked with a star running back in Dalvin Cook and two impact receivers in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, much like he will have in Cleveland with Chubb, Beckham and Landry.

Cleveland still needs Mayfield to perform at a higher level if it is going to challenge for its first playoff appearance since 2002.