Baker Mayfield clearly has had a hard time moving on from the Browns. And his welcome message for Kevin Stefanski to the NFC South makes it clear as day.

The Bucs QB posted that Stefanski never contacted him after they “shipped off like a piece of garbage." Now, ESPN Analyst Tony Grossi believes that the former Browns QB has not moved on from Cleveland.

"It's Baker being Baker," Grossi said. "I think the Browns are still in his head, which is interesting after all he's been through since he left here. And I think it's misguided because, go back and retrace the origin of the Deshaun Watson trade, Andrew Berry said it was six-month odyssey, … when Baker was playing, they were looking to replace him."

Grossi might have just hit a nerve this time around. Berry had said the process of vetting and evaluating Watson was a long one when asked about how the Browns came to pursue Watson.

Plus, it was also Mayfield who wanted to leave the Browns. "It's in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on. "The relationship is too far gone to mend. It's in the best interests of both sides to move on," Mayfield told ESPN's Adam Schefter in 2022.

What's also interesting is that the Insider reports said the Browns refused to entertain his request. But then Mayfield, "stopped taking calls from Browns personnel — including owner Jimmy Haslam," going radio silent after the 2021 season as per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Grossi also added, "Not Kevin Stefanski, he was trying to win game. So I think his outrage is misguided and it's a bit babyish." And it's not just him alone, Browns legend Joe Thomas took a sarcastic jab at Baker Mayfield for his outburst on Kevin Stefanski.

"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," he said.

So what had happened between the two?

The Baker Mayfield-Kevin Stefanski Saga

The Stefanski-Mayfield saga might be one of the worst in Browns' history. It started on a good note with two leading the team to its first playoffs in decades. But then, in 2021, Mayfield struggled with injuries, including a shoulder issue and inconsistent play.

His performance under Stefanski was also not upto the mark. He had a passer rating of 90.0 with 6,573 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions in 30 games in his two seasons with the new Falcons head coach. Reports suggest he grew frustrated with the offensive approach and with how Kevin Stefanski used him within the system.

Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot noted that the quarterback believed “the run-heavy, three-tight end scheme didn’t play to his strengths, and Stefanski wasn’t calling enough of the play-action bootlegs that Mayfield excelled at last season.”

He even said the calls “got too conservative” after the 24-22 victory over the Ravens in 2021. The next season, the Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers, bringing an end to his time in Cleveland

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Joyita Das