Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield welcomed Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski into the division in true NFC South fashion: with animosity. While the division is filled with rivalries that predate current players and coaches, Mayfield’s issue with Stefanski is personal. It all stems from their history together with the Cleveland Browns.
On Tuesday, at his introductory press conference for the Falcons, Stefanski was asked about Mayfield’s not-so-welcoming comments about him coming to the NFC South. The head coach kept it cool, calling Mayfield a great player on a great team, and while he refused to get into the specifics of the relationship with his former quarterback, the one thing he did emphasize is that he loves rivalries.
New #Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski on Baker Mayfield’s comments the other day:
— Maura Carey (@mauracareyAP) January 27, 2026
“Baker's somebody that I have a ton of respect for as a player and a person. I love rivalries in sports, and obviously, Buccaneers-Falcons have a great rivalry. It’s something that I’m excited about.…
There's a lot more to unpack there than it seems, not the least of which is a subtle call out by Stefanski. He didn't fight fire with fire, but it's hard to not hear him say he'd rather not get into specifics as a way of him saying he's taking a high road Baker refused to.
Read into it or don't, but that line speaks a little louder than it might come across initially.
Kevin Stefanski’s response to Baker Mayfield has fans circling Buccaneers vs. Falcons next year
That all seemed to be Stefanski’s coach-speak way of saying he’s not ducking any smoke. While it would’ve been uncharacteristic for the head coach to publicly go back and forth with Mayfield, he simply talked about how excited he is to be apart of the rivalry between the Buccaneers and Falcons.
That adds a fun element to a competitive division rivalry between two teams who believe they can win the NFC South. The history between Mayfield and Stefanski should make for two dramatic game weeks, and some interesting postgame moments and handshakes, or lack thereof.
Both Atlanta and Tampa Bay finished the season with 8-9 records in 2025, tied with the Carolina Panthers for the best record in the NFC South. Carolina ultimately earned the division crown because of tiebreaker rules, and the Falcons and Bucs entered an offseason of change for both franchises. Tampa Bay kept Todd Bowles in place, but he made several changes to his coaching staff, and Atlanta did a complete reset, changing over the front office and coaching staff.
The division rivals split the series in 2025, with the road team winning each matchup. The Falcons swept the series the season before that, and the teams split again in 2023, Mayfield’s first season with the Buccaneers. That gives the veteran quarterback a 2-4 record against Atlanta since coming to Tampa Bay and joining the division. One thing that’s clear about Mayfield, though, is that he thrives on pettiness, so his performance against Atlanta should improve.