After Baker Mayfield went in on Kevin Stefanski on Twitter last night, it gave several Atlanta Falcons fans a minor scare. Many think Stefanski is the perfect coach to turn Michael Penix Jr.'s career around and will thrive in a better situation after a nightmare stint in Cleveland, but others are having second thoughts.
Mayfield attempted to paint Stefanski as the bad guy for not texting or calling him after the Browns traded him to Carolina, which worried Falcons fans hoping to see Penix shine with his mentorship. But then the legendary Joe Thomas decided to weigh in to respond to Baker's innate lack of maturity.
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🧐 https://t.co/y7hI6zptax
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) January 21, 2026
He made a career off of protecting Browns' QBs, but not this time.
As we all know, the former No. 1 overall pick is a bit of a man-child, so Thomas humbled him. The future Hall of Famer reminded him that communication goes both ways, so if he really wanted to hear from Stefanski, he could've reached out himself, instead of going below the belt on social media.
Joe Thomas just added a juicy new layer to the Falcons-Bucs rivalry by defending Kevin Stefanski
Thomas is one of the best players in Browns' franchise history and is emblematic of everything an NFL player should strive to be, but he also never played for Stefanski. He retired in 2017, and the two-time Coach of the Year's first season in Cleveland came three seasons later, yet he still took his side.
Like No. 73 said, Stefanski wasn't obligated to text or call Mayfield afterward, even if doing so is a bit immature. Then again, Baker isn't a player who easily commands respect, especially since he's been disrespectful and immature towards others his whole career. This is nothing new if you look closely.
Baker is right in that he deserved more respect after leading the Browns to their best season in 2025 years, but not all of that falls on Stefanski. In all honesty, sending a king's ransom to out-bid the Falcons for Deshaun Watson is when things hit the fan, so if you feel slighted, reach out privately.
Part of what the former Heisman Trophy winner is trying to do is set the record straight, but he's really just talking smack. Now that they're in the same division it's going to make Falcons-Bucs games all the more important, especially if they're both atop the NFC South standings like many fans expect.
Hopefully, if the Dirty Birds decide to trade Penix any time in the near future, the 43-year-old can learn from this and handle the situation with a bit more class, but I think I speak for everyone when I say I hope it doesn't come to that.