Baker Mayfield Just Can't Let Anything Go
Baker Mayfield has one of the most impressive comeback stories in the NFL, but his refusal to move on is grating. By now, everyone knows Mayfield was counted out by two separate NFL teams. Everyone knows he wasn't expected to reach this level of play.
Yet, Mayfield can't seem to move on. It's been years since any transgression, but the QB continues to start conflict or keep conflict up with parties who have all since moved on. In some instances, he is really reaching to find a way to hate, and his recent rant against a former coach might be an example.
The Baker Mayfield schtick is getting old
Mayfield responded to a claim that his "failure" in Cleveland led to the Browns cycling through quarterbacks. Eventually, that led to Stefanski's firing and his arrival in Atlanta. It is a little unfair to claim Mayfield failed. The Browns seemed to simply want DeShaun Watson instead.
So in that sense, Mayfield's gripe is warranted. But he didn't stop there. He said, "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."
Many reports suggest that Stefanski never wanted DeShaun Watson. Even if he did, GMs are responsible for trades, not coaches. Mayfield's beef, then, should be with Andrew Berry and not Stefanski. Sure, Stefanski allegedly not reaching out after the trade is something, but he didn't make the moves.
He will now get the chance to take on Stefanski twice a year, and you can expect plenty of comments before and after those games. Mayfield's a good quarterback, but he's even better at talking. Whether he has anything useful to say is irrelevant. Seemingly, so are the actual facts of the situations.
It's not just Stefanski
This just highlights Mayfield's incessant need to be the victim. He's a Pro Bowl QB twice over now. Yet, he's still fixated on those who "wronged" him several years ago. The Browns traded him in 2022. In that same year, he was dreadful for the Carolina Panthers.
He went 1-5 in six starts, throwing six touchdowns and six interceptions. He completed less than 58% of his snaps. The Panthers were by no means a QB haven (the opposite, actually), but we cannot pretend Mayfield was even remotely good.
The QB then requested his release, and the team granted it. But early in the 2025 season, Mayfield said he loved beating the Jets because defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was the interim coach when the Panthers cut Mayfield.
When has an interim head coach ever made a decision like that? As mentioned, Mayfield requested it because the team had rightfully decided he wasn't working out there. But the interim coach from three years ago needs to be publicly reprimanded for it?
Mayfield also reportedly gets "juiced up" every time he plays the Panthers, perhaps worryingly so. He has this much disdain for a team he made six awful starts for three seasons ago? It all feels like a persona or a willing choice to try to find conflict wherever possible.
The Panthers were not a good system for a quarterback to thrive in. Sam Darnold couldn't, either. Shouldn't Mayfield be thanking the Panthers for moving on? If they hadn't, he wouldn't have landed with Sean McVay for a few games and probably wouldn't have been able to resurrect his career.
But in the Tampa Bay QB's mind, he was done wrong numerous times. Never mind the context or the nuance, Mayfield has plenty of reason to be angry even now. The Panthers have moved on. Stefanski has moved on. Will Mayfield ever move on? It doesn't seem like it.
