Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Leftwich Expected to be a Top First-Time HC Candidate
Some teams, such as the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have NFL playoff aspirations at this point in the 2020 season.
Some don't, and instead are looking to the future with the idea of changing that. In some instances, that could require a new head coach to lead the team. The Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, for example, are on the prowl, looking for new leaders-of-men after respectively relieving coaches Bill O'Brien and Dan Quinn of their duties in early October.
Teams such as the Texans and Falcons are already well underway in their latest head coaching search, with teams such as the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, and others reasonably expected to be in a similar position by the end of the year.
With that, Bucs offensive and defensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles, have already earned hype as candidates for head coaching roles this offseason. Bowles has prior head coaching experience paired with the league's No. 4 total defense, so his candidacy makes a lot of sense.
Leftwich, however, is a young up-and-comer in this industry who could receive looks for a head coaching role for the first time, as shared by NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.
The 10-year NFL veteran quarterback was once a backup in Pittsburgh under Bruce Arians, who hired Leftwich as QB coach in Arizona in 2017 and brought him along to Tampa last year. Leftwich, 40, had an uninspiring stint as the interim OC for a doomed Cardinals team two years ago under Arians' successor, Steve Wilks. But Arians trusted Leftwich enough to make him the play-caller with the Bucs. Leftwich has shown he can manage a room with veterans such as Carson Palmer and Tom Brady, who's more than two years older than his OC and made a point on Wednesday to tweet that he loves Leftwich. Last week's blowout loss to the Saints notwithstanding, it'd be a surprise if Leftwich doesn't have interview requests this cycle.
Leftwich has just four years of coaching experience, but as Pelissero points out, 10 years of NFL quarterback play under his belt with the Jaguars, Falcons, Buccaneers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh was where he and Bucs head coach Bruce Arians first connected, as Arians coached Leftwich in 2008 and from 2010-11.
Arians discussed Leftwich's progression as an offensive coordinator and the idea of him, and Bowles, taking head coaching jobs elsewhere in late October.
"I thought he did a heck of a job with the offense last year – numbers wise," Arians said of Leftwich. "Bringing in Tom [Brady] has been totally different. He and Tom have a great relationship. Byron’s done a heck of a job. I love his patience with the running game right now and setting up those chunk plays in the passing game. I think he’s done a heck of a job with our offense.
“We’ve got guys ready to take their place just in case that happens. Hopefully, we go all the way and they both get jobs."
Sure, the Bucs are coming off of their worst performance this year, on both sides of the ball but particularly offensively, as Tampa Bay was able to score just three points. However, owning the league's No. 9 scoring offense on the season, experience coaching arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, and Arians' reference should land Leftwich a couple of interviews, at least.
