It's been an eventful week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with everything from coaching changes to player beefs lighting up an otherwise dim part of the offseason.
Tampa Bay hiring Danny Smith and Zac Robinson leads the charge in terms of meaningful things that happened, but the most explosive development involved Baker Mayfield going after Kevin Stefanski on social media.
The beef was resurrected out of nowhere, as Baker took exception to a local Atlanta beat writer dragging his name through the mud as a way of highlighting how Stefanski got a bad break in Cleveland. Stefanski, who is now the Falcons' head coach, was part of the group that traded Baker away back in 2022 and replaced him with Deshaun Watson.
Baker was quick to point out that he was "shipped off like a piece of garbage" and noted that even after all these years he hasn't heard from Stefanski. Needless to say, it's a beef that has kicked up dust among fans who are picking sides, but former Bucs quarterback Shaun King isn't on the side you probably assumed he'd be on.
Former Buccaneers QB calls out Baker Mayfield for beefing with Kevin Stefanski
King went on a NSFW tirade slamming Baker for his comments about Stefanski, pointing out that the Bucs quarterback dropping off the way he did down the stretch disqualifies him from barking at his former coach.
“We just lost eight of our last nine games,” King said, via JoeBucsFan. “Let’s not get carried away, Baker has been deaf, dumb and stupid ever since he thought he was on the MVP hunt after Week 4 or 5.”
He then walked his stance back a bit by pointing out how he's been a fan of Baker and simply wants to see him succeed. It's a pretty bizarre way to show support, though, and it'll likely only add fuel to a fire that is burning beyond just this little tiff.
One of the biggest questions the Bucs have this offseason is whether to extend Baker now, or let him play out the season and see where things stand next March. Baker is entering the final year of the deal he signed back in 2024, and the decision on what to do is splitting the fanbase down the middle.
Some are looking at the collapse of this past season as an indictment on Baker's ability to be the x-factor a Super Bowl contending team needs. King's barbed comments are referring to how Baker went from being an MVP candidate in the middle of the season to a guy who couldn't carry the weight of a team that was crashing out.
Part of that is on Baker but not as much as seems to be getting piled on. It's true he was far from perfect during the team's historic collapse, however issues on defense and special teams contributed just as much as -- if not more than -- the struggles Baker had.
There's also the Josh Grizzard element as well. The Bucs gambled and lost that they could keep their unprecedented streak of offensive coordinator luck going, and a lot of the failures on offense fell on Grizzard's shoulders.
None of that absolves Baker, but it seems frustration over how things ended last season are blurring the lines of reality. Baker struggling with the Bucs and the way things ended with the Browns and Stefanski aren't the same thing, and to combine the two situations is unfair. So is boxing Baker's ears for sticking up for himself, and it's a bit misguided to try and muzzle him and sand off some edge that the Bucs clearly need.
King has been outspoken in the past, but he's not the only voice calling the team out. It's clear what is at stake heading into 2026, and here's to hoping the Bucs are hearing the calls and use it as fuel to turn the ship around.