Byron Leftwich and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their season come to a disappointing end in Sunday’s AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
For the highly-respected offensive coordinator and the defending champs, it certainly was a bitter pill to swallow. Tampa found itself down 27-3 early in the third quarter, only to come all the way back and lose on a last-second field goal.
For Leftwich, there’s no rest for the weary.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the former first-round pick will interview for a second time with the Jacksonville Jaguars — leading to speculation that he’s the leader in the clubhouse to become the full-time replacent for the fired Urban Meyer.
Leftwich, 42, heading to the Jaguars to take over that sinking ship always seemed to be a natural fit. He was the No. 7 overall pick of the organization back in 2003 and had a pretty decent run of success during a four-year run with the squad. That included leading the Jags to a 12-4 record back in 2005. Jacksonville has made the playoffs two times since Leftwich’s departure.
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It must be noted that Leftwich is not the only finalist for the job. Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett joins Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, among others, as those who are still in the running for the job.
With that said, interviewing Leftwich for a second time one day after his Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention could tell us what direction the Jaguars’ brass might be headed.
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In three seasons as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, Leftwich led offenses that finished in the top-three in scoring all three seasons. That included back in 2019 with Jameis Winston, not Tom Brady, leading the charge.
As for the Jags, there’s been a reported rift between hands-on owner Shahid Khan and embattled general manager Trent Baalke. That included the latter pining for Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to be the next head coach in Duval. O’Brien is not considered a finalist for the job, leading to the widespread belief that Khan is calling the shots here.