Once the Jacksonville Jaguars fired disgraced former head coach Urban Meyer, it seemed fitting that Byron Leftwich would return to Duval.
The former Jaguars first-round pick and star quarterback had been getting a ton of play as a potential head coach candidate due to his performance as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator over the past three seasons.
It seemed to be a match made in heaven. The downtrodden Jaguars attempting to change what had been a disastrous culture. In turn, the organization looking to bring in a great offensive mind to help young quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In theory, this would be the perfect union.
Alas, it’s unlikely to happen. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Byron Leftwich is expected to remove himself from consideration to become the next Jaguars head coach. Stroud points to former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and former Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia as the top remaining candidates.
Related: Ranking top remaining NFL head coach openings
What went wrong between Byron Leftwich and the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Everything! That’s pretty much the best way to explain the disaster in Duval. One of the many issues in Jacksonville is the presence of embattled general manager Trent Baalke. The Jags opted to retain him even after firing Urban Meyer less than one season into his tenure with the organization.
As the search for a new head coach played out, reports indicated that some candidates see Baalke as “controversial” and “have expressed reservations about working with” the general manager. As for Byron Leftwich in particular, he apparently wanted Baalke fired before he accepted the position in Jacksonville.
None of this should really come as too much of a surprise. Baalke has been seen as a divisive figure dating back to his days with the San Francisco 49ers and a perceived rift with then-head coach Jim Harbaugh.
As for candidates looking to nab head coach jobs, they tend to want a new general manager to help call the shots, not someone from the previous regime.
Related: Byron Leftwich and top NFL head coach candidates
All of this comes at a time when multiple initial candidates for the Jaguars’ job opted to go in another direction.
- Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears head coach
- Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator
- Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos head coach
- Bill O’Brien, likely New England Patriots offensive coordinator
Jacksonville has lost 29 of its past 32 games. It just fired a head coach 13 games into his tenure. Owner Shahid Khan is seen as too hands-on. Baalke himself is not highly regardaded. This is the situation the Jaguars find themselves in right now.
As for Byron Leftwich, he could now opt to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under head coach Bruce Arians. It wouldn’t be the easiest of transitions, especially after Tom Brady announced his retirement. There’s also a chance that Leftwich becomes a top-end candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ opening. Either way, he seemingly views these options as much more attractive than becoming the Jaguars’ next head coach.
Who could blame him?
Once the Jacksonville Jaguars fired disgraced former head coach Urban Meyer, it seemed fitting that Byron Leftwich would return to Duval.
The former Jaguars first-round pick and star quarterback had been getting a ton of play as a potential head coach candidate due to his performance as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator over the past three seasons.
It seemed to be a match made in heaven. The downtrodden Jaguars attempting to change what had been a disastrous culture. In turn, the organization looking to bring in a great offensive mind to help young quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In theory, this would be the perfect union.
Alas, it’s unlikely to happen. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Byron Leftwich is expected to remove himself from consideration to become the next Jaguars head coach. Stroud points to former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and former Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia as the top remaining candidates.
What went wrong between Byron Leftwich and the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Everything! That’s pretty much the best way to explain the disaster in Duval. One of the many issues in Jacksonville is the presence of embattled general manager Trent Baalke. The Jags opted to retain him even after firing Urban Meyer less than one season into his tenure with the organization.
As the search for a new head coach played out, reports indicated that some candidates see Baalke as “controversial” and “have expressed reservations about working with” the general manager. As for Byron Leftwich in particular, he apparently wanted Baalke fired before he accepted the position in Jacksonville.
None of this should really come as too much of a surprise. Baalke has been seen as a divisive figure dating back to his days with the San Francisco 49ers and a perceived rift with then-head coach Jim Harbaugh.
As for candidates looking to nab head coach jobs, they tend to want a new general manager to help call the shots, not someone from the previous regime.
Related: Byron Leftwich and top NFL head coach candidates
All of this comes at a time when multiple initial candidates for the Jaguars’ job opted to go in another direction.
- Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears head coach
- Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator
- Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos head coach
- Bill O’Brien, likely New England Patriots offensive coordinator
Jacksonville has lost 29 of its past 32 games. It just fired a head coach 13 games into his tenure. Owner Shahid Khan is seen as too hands-on. Baalke himself is not highly regardaded. This is the situation the Jaguars find themselves in right now.
As for Byron Leftwich, he could now opt to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under head coach Bruce Arians. It wouldn’t be the easiest of transitions, especially after Tom Brady announced his retirement. There’s also a chance that Leftwich becomes a top-end candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ opening. Either way, he seemingly views these options as much more attractive than becoming the Jaguars’ next head coach.
Who could blame him?