The Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both got off to slow starts this season, but the two NFC South rivals are still alive in the division and will face off in Week 8. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield have a long-running beef that stems back to their days together in Cleveland.
Sunday's game will be the first time the two former co-workers face off since Stefanski took the job with Atlanta back in January. Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick, was traded by Stefanski less than two years after leading the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994.
It's easy to understand why Mayfield was frustrated, and his subsequent success with the Buccaneers shows he was right to be upset. Nonetheless,
Stefanski has not been willing to engage in the beef. The Falcons head coach complimented Mayfield during his Wednesday press conference.
"He's still a playmaker," Stefanski said of Mayfield. "No play is ever over. He's just going to constantly make plays down the field. He can run. He's extremely talented."
Mayfield was with Stefanski for two seasons in Cleveland (2020-2021) before the QB was traded to the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 offseason The Browns went all for Deshaun Watson, which is largely considered the worst trade in NFL history.
As you can imagine, the quarterback most known for having a permanent chip on his shoulder didn't take the news well at the time. Watson's sexual misconduct allegations only added insult to injury and Mayfield has publicly blasted Stefanski for how he handled the trade.
After Stefanski was hired by the Falcons, Mayfield called his former coach out in a tweet.
"Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage," Mayfield wrote. "Can’t wait to see you twice a year, coach."
Stefanski did not choose to address Mayfield's comments at the time but said he still respected Baker.
"Baker is someone I have a lot of respect for as a player and as a person," Stefanski said in response to Mayfield's criticisms.
While Stefanski is clearly taking the high road, don't underestimate his competitive nature, even if he rarely breaks from using coach speak. You don't win NFL Coach of the Year twice by getting into to petty arguments with opposing team quarterbacks.
For the record, Mayfield has downplayed the beef since his initial tweet.
"There’s stuff there, but it’s not like it’s beef," Mayfield told SI in a Super Bowl interview. "We’ve worked together, anytime you know somebody, you want to beat them whether it’s a good or bad relationship."
The Falcons will look to get back to .500 against the Buccaneers on Sunday. With a win (and a loss by Carolina), Atlanta would take over first place in the NFC South. The game starts at 1 p.m. ET at Raymond-James Stadium in Tampa.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Kevin Stefanski comments on facing Bucs QB Baker Mayfield
