The Rise and Fall of Byron Leftwich: A Promising NFL Coach’s Journey to Stardom
The Forgotten Coach: Byron Leftwich’s Journey to NFL Stardom
Byron Leftwich was once considered a top candidate for several head coaching positions in the NFL. However, he has been noticeably absent from the coaching scene since his firing in January 2023. What led to this downfall?
The Jacksonville Jaguars were impressed by Leftwich’s work as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. He had orchestrated an offense that averaged nearly 30 points per game and led the team to two NFC South titles. It was no surprise when they wanted to interview him for their head coaching job.
However, things took a turn when Liam Coen didn’t get the job with the Jaguars and returned to the Buccaneers for one season. Despite this, it’s hard to believe that the NFL would lose Leftwich’s phone number for two seasons. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.
Leftwich’s journey began alongside Bruce Arians in Arizona, where he called plays for some of the most prolific offenses in NFL history. In his four years with the Buccaneers, he twice had quarterbacks pass for over 5,000 yards. The team averaged an impressive 28.6 points per game (2019), 30.75 (2020), and 30.05 (2021) before slumping to 18.4 in Tom Brady‘s final season.
Coen has only had one outstanding season calling plays in the NFL, with the Buccaneers bowing out of the playoffs with an NFC wild-card loss to Washington. Leftwich, on the other hand, helped the Bucs win Super Bowl 55.
Despite being considered a frontrunner for the Jaguars’ head coaching job that eventually went to Doug Pederson in February 2022, Leftwich was fired in January 2023 and fell off the grid. Since then, he has been enjoying quality time with his son, Dominic, attending AAU basketball and junior varsity football practice in Atlanta.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” Leftwich said of the time with his son. “But to be clear: I want to coach again. I always have.”
A False Narrative?
Leftwich isn’t a self-promoter. He doesn’t connect with NFL insiders who sometimes are represented by the same agents as the coaches they hype for jobs.
“Man, I’m a coach,” he said. “I’m an offensive coordinator. There are more stories on me in the news that are so false. None of them are right. Zero percent of them are right.”
Leftwich was a hot assistant following the 2021 season. The Bucs had nearly returned to the Super Bowl, losing to the Rams on a last-second field goal in the division round of the NFC playoffs. However, reports surfaced that Leftwich turned down the Jaguars job because he didn’t want to work with general manager Trent Baalke.
Leftwich insists he never discussed Baalke or the front office during his interview with Jacksonville. And when the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada after Week 11 in 2023, there was speculation Leftwich might replace him.
“These stories about me that’s been coming out, none of them are true,” Leftwich said. “Like the story that I called Pittsburgh about another man’s job…I would never do that to another coach.”
No Credit for the Highs, Only Lows
Leftwich never received much credit for the Bucs’ success. It was always considered Arians’ offense, even though he repeatedly said he did not do any game planning.
Former NFL player Rich Ohrnberger tweeted in 2021 that Arians “would take a red pen” to any work on the week’s game plan that Leftwich and Brady had done, creating tension between the coordinator and quarterback. However, Arians shot down that report.
Leftwich doesn’t lack confidence. He played quarterback for four teams in 10 NFL seasons and was the seventh overall choice of the Jaguars in 2003. He won a Super Bowl with the 2008 Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup with Arians the offensive coordinator.
Not many NFL coaches have stood behind center in the league and seen the game from that vantage point.
“He has an extremely great football mind,” Arians said this past week of Leftwich. “He’s a great teacher and can make it simple. And he’s the ultimate leader…He’s got it all.”
Where’s His Second Chance?
Until Jan. 7, when he interviewed for the Patriots head coaching job that proved to be Mike Vrabel’s from the start, Leftwich had been off the NFL coaching radar.
Last week, he received an interview for the Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator position, though former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has seemingly emerged as the favorite after a second interview.
