The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coaching change was as smooth as possible.
Bruce Arians stepped down to take a front office role, and his former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles took over.
That approach could be an indication that the team has more work to do on that side of the ball.
But why not promote offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich instead?
He was the one who got head coaching offers, especially from his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Leftwich has a great working relationship with Tom Brady who ended his retirement after 40 days.
He is also a well-loved and respected mentor in the locker room.
Now that Bowles will take over, questions were raised about Leftwich’s job security.
However, Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud confirmed that the former NFL quarterback isn’t going anywhere.
Yes, @danorlovsky7. Byron Leftwich will continue to be the offensive coordinator for at least another year and collaborate with @TomBrady who does a LOT of game planning. https://t.co/P7Jw7YBt6a
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 31, 2022
In response to football analyst Dan Orlovsky’s question of whether Bowles will retain Leftwich at his position, Stroud responded, “Yes, @danorlovsky7. Byron Leftwich will continue to be the offensive coordinator for at least another year and collaborate with @TomBrady who does a LOT of game planning.”
That said, the Buccaneers’ offensive think tank will stay together for at least one more season.
Leftwich Makes Things Work
Brady has the utmost respect for his offensive coordinator because he listens.
Leftwich gets his quarterback’s inputs for their game plan but he has the final say on the play-calling.
That level of trust puts them on the same page which motivates everybody else to follow suit.
For sure, Bowles will let Leftwich keep his play-calling duties on offense.
After all, why fix what isn’t broken, especially with the familiarity they have on that unit.
This time, embarking on a revenge tour to reclaim their title will be their motivation coming into the 2022 season.
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