Neither Baker Mayfield nor Kevin Stefanski are tied to the Cleveland Browns anymore. However, given how things ended between them and with the organization, it's impossible not to recall their time together in Northeast Ohio.
While Stefanski reportedly opposed the Deshaun Watson trade, his relationship with Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick, never seemed to be the best. Now, with Mayfield set to face him twice a year in the NFC South after he signed with the Atlanta Falcons, the feud has been officially re-ignited.
Mayfield took to social media to call out Stefanski for not even sending him a text message after the team traded him to Carolina during the 2022 offseason. With that in mind, franchise legend Joe Thomas took to social media to put Mayfield in his place and set the record straight.
Baker Mayfield reignited his feud with Kevin Stefanski, but Joe Thomas isn't having it
There aren't many Browns fans coming to Stefanski's defense when it comes to Mayfield, but at least he has Thomas in his corner.
"I could be wrong...but I've heard that communication is a 2-way street and there were no laws against you (Baker) sending Stefanski a text or calling him after you got traded," Thomas tweeted on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, this situation is a clear reflection of what went wrong with both Mayfield and Stefanski during their time together with the Browns. On the one hand, Mayfield's reluctance to be held accountable and immaturity often hurt his credibility inside and outside of the locker room, especially when he couldn't back up the talk on the field.
On the other hand, Stefanski seemed to have it out for several players, and it was almost impossible to get out of his dog house once that happened. Egos often got in the way of this team's success, and even after all these years, they still can't let it go.
Baker Mayfield revisionism has become a trend in Cleveland lately. He's emerged as an MVP candidate early in the season for the past couple of years, leaving Browns fans wondering just how they could let him go.
Mayfield deserves all the credit in the world for putting his head down, getting to work, and refusing to let his career die. He's come a long way as a player and — sometimes — as a person. That being said, it's easy to look back on highlights and clips and make it seem as if he was killing it in Cleveland when, unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
As for Stefanski, there were some good times, for sure, and chances are that he'll fare much better in Atlanta. Once again, fans from other teams — and even Browns fans — will probably look back on his tenure in Cleveland and mock the organization if that happens. But even if that's the case, the fact of the matter is that both had to go, and the team will probably be better off leaving them behind.