Byron Leftwich lately confirmed his intention of returning to the NFL, and he has no less than one suitor excited about talking with him a few head teaching place. Leftwich will meet with the Patriots, Mike Jones of The Athletic reports.
Leftwich spent three seasons working below Bruce Arians in Arizona, and on the finish of his Cardinals tenure it got here as no shock the pair reunited in Tampa Bay. The previous first-round quarterback labored because the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-22. Since then, nonetheless, Leftwich has been out of teaching.
The 44-year-old generated some curiosity within the faculty teaching ranks lately, however he has had his eye on a new NFL opportunity. Tampa Bay loved notable offensive success for a lot of Leftwich’s tenure, however after Arians was changed as head coach by Todd Bowles the unit took a step again through the 2022 marketing campaign. Leftwich interviewed for the Ravens’ OC position in 2023.
Leftwich doesn’t have head teaching expertise, however he has been linked to HC openings earlier than. Reviews emerged in 2022 stating he was a candidate for the Jaguars’ head teaching place, with perceived rigidity with normal manger Trent Baalke in the end main the staff in one other course. Leftwich has since denied that he was ever provided the place.
The Patriots had a 24-year run with Invoice Belichick on the helm, and his successor took over final offseason. Jerod Mayo was lengthy considered as Belichick’s inheritor obvious, with a succession clause being added to his contract to stop the staff from needing to conduct an out of doors search. After one yr on the helm, Mayo was dismissed, leaving proprietor Robert Kraft and the staff’s entrance workplace (which will remain intact) to begin over.
Mike Vrabel is seen as the top candidate for New England’s emptiness. Like Mayo, Vrabel has a previous as a former Patriots participant, and Kraft is thought to carry him in excessive regard. The staff should meet with no less than two exterior minority candidates as a part of the search course of to fulfill the Rooney Rule, and Leftwich will qualify in that respect. That’s not the case for Lions OC Ben Johnson, who’s expected to interview with New England. Leftwich will be a part of him when it comes to candidates with an offensive background because the Patriots search out a coach able to creating quarterback Drake Maye over the short- and long-term future.
