It looked like Byron Leftwich would move from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
His potential hiring created a buzz among the franchise’s fanbase he suited up for from 2003 to 2006.
However, the deal fell through, and Leftwich was back with the Buccaneers.
Despite the transition at head coach, Todd Bowles announced that he would retain Leftwich as offensive coordinator.
That decision is a no-brainer, given his contributions during the team’s Super Bowl LV victory.
But now that he’s still in Tampa Bay, former head coach Bruce Arians revealed the number of teams interested in hiring Leftwich during his recent guesting on Arizona Sports 98.7.
“…you know, he had about four or five teams real interested last year. . . . I would anticipate him to be a head coach real fast.”
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) April 6, 2022
NFL reporter for the Tampa Bay Times Rick Stroud tweeted Arians’ statement on Byron Leftwich, saying, “I get credit, and (Tom) Brady gets way too much credit for what Byron does with our offense. One of the reasons I hope he gets all the credit he deserves this year is to get a coaching gig.”
Arians added, “you know, he had about four or five teams real interested last year. . . . I would anticipate him to be a head coach real fast.”
Which Teams Were Possibly Interested In Leftwich?
Ten new head coaches were hired before 2022 NFL season, including Bowles.
The New Orleans Saints had the same script by hiring former defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Then there’s the well-documented episode with the Jaguars, which eventually hired Doug Pederson.
Five other teams hired an offensive-minded head coach, but it looked like the Las Vegas Raiders were all in on Josh McDaniels.
Therefore, it’s possible that the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and Denver Broncos considered Leftwich.
NEXT: Buccaneers Retain Another Veteran QB For The 2022 Season