The great quarterback in Cleveland, after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns, Mayfield started his career impressively enough with a then-rookie-record 27 receptions. In 2020, Mayfield had his third head coach – Stefanski – and the two helped Cleveland to its first playoff berth in nearly 20 years and first postseason win since 1994. However, things took a turn for the worse in 2021 as Mayfield battled through injuries and the Browns posted an 8-9 record.
He was traded away to the Carolina Panthers, “shipped like junk,” according to his January post.
From the Panthers, Mayfield made his way to the Los Angeles Rams and eventually the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In all of his outings, he has faced Stefanski just once: a Week 1 loss in 2022 that started for the Panthers against the Browns in which he had 235 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception in a 26-24 setback.
Mayfield was interviewed while supporting Sonic Drive-In and had a burger and fries in front of him and was asked if he would ever share the former with Stefanski.
“Maybe we’ll have one after the game in Atlanta,” he said. “I don’t know. I have two chances to see next year if we’re going to share a burger.”
While Mayfield has yet to face Stefanski as a member of the Buccaneers, he’s certainly no stranger to playing against the Falcons, and the results haven’t been great. Mayfield was 2-4 against Atlanta during his time with Tampa Bay. The Falcons also sealed the Bucs’ playoff berth in 2025, as their Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints allowed the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South in a tiebreaker.
“No, not really,” Mayfield said when asked if he viewed the upcoming deficit against the Falcons as a revenge game. “I mean, well, not a revenge game with an Atlanta feel but we lost the league for the first time in four or five years, so every league game is going to be a revenge game, I guess.”
It’s been a long and winding NFL road for Mayfield through eight seasons, but he feels he’s landed where he belongs in Tampa, and now he’ll have a biannual reunion with a familiar face from his past.
“It’s hard to play quarterback but it’s all about the right fit,” he said. “The people you’re surrounded by, the staff, the organization obviously gives you all the resources you need to be successful. It’s such a tough position to play, the organization that takes care of a lot of other things like the day-to-day things for you to make your life easier, you have to be in the right situation.”