Offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was the person many thought would take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coaching job.
However, the team would go with defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to replace the retiring Bruce Arians.
While he might not have the head coaching position in Tampa, head coaching opportunities are still there for him.
Several NFL teams sought to interview him for a head coach position.
That interest would concern Bucs fans who saw Leftwich coach the best offense the team has ever had.
Jaguars, Bears, And Saints Showed Interest In Leftwich
The Jacksonville Jaguars started the interview race to replace their former head coach, Urban Meyer, when they went after Leftwich.
They would be the only team to interview him twice for a head coaching job.
However, he would remove himself from the replacement talks.
Hearing Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is expected to remove himself from consideration for the Jaguars head coaching job soon. Former Raiders interim HC Rich Bisaccia and former Eagles coach Doug Pederson remain strong candidates.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 3, 2022
Even though he decided Jacksonville wasn’t the right fit for him, it shows teams want him as a head coach.
The Jaguars weren’t the only team interested in Leftwich at the start of 2022.
Both the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints showed an interest in him to fill their head coach vacancies.
However, he only interviewed with the Bears.
Although the Saints were granted permission to interview Leftwich, the interview never happened.
While both teams hired someone else for the position, it shows promise for Leftwich.
But all the interest in him showed something that most people in the NFL don’t see.
It shows he wouldn’t jump at the first offer that teams gave him.
Why Did Leftwich Leave Talks With Jaguars For Head Coaching Job?
Jacksonville was the team everyone saw as the candidate to hire Leftwich as a head coach.
He played with the team as their quarterback when he was in the NFL as a player.
Jaguars fans saw him as the best replacement for the team as head coach.
However, he didn’t see things the way fans did.
People speculated Leftwich turned down the head coaching job in Jacksonville because of the general manager.
I agree the GM suck. But that who that have. So rather then take a job that could set Byron Leftwich to fail as head coach which then could ruin opportunities to be head coach again he decided to not take the job and wait a year to see if there’s any better opening.
— Frank The Jock #THE3 (@TeenGohanFight) February 8, 2022
Rather than be a one-and-done coach, Leftwich leaves the door open for other teams where he can succeed.
He isn’t one to just rush into any head coaching job.
In fact, he will be patient until the right team comes along to hire him.
That gives him an edge over other coaches who only want the job for the money and title.
Staying With Tom Brady And The Bucs Add Value To His Stock
He has one of the best offensive units in the NFL with Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Sticking around another year helps draw more eyes on him as his offense continues to dominate in Tampa.
Using his patience will work to his advantage when everything is said and done.
While he might not be a head coach in 2022, he has plenty of shots with other NFL teams.
But he will want to go to a stable NFL team.
That is because he wants to have a great legacy as a head coach in the NFL.
NEXT: Todd Bowles Can Now Launch A Legendary Coaching Career