Byron Leftwich looks like a favorite to land Jaguars HC job

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ search for a new head coach is underway. They already started another round of interviews and have met with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for the second time. While it seemed to have gone well, the Jags may want to wait for Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who seems like a favorite to land the job and has been recently endorsed by two of his former teammates.

Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports recently predicted which coaches will land in each spot and he sees Leftwich getting the Jaguars’ job. Kerr believes the Bucs’ offensive coordinator would be a “good fit for a team that is in the midst of a rebuild”. He goes on to cite his track record with quarterbacks and notes that Tampa Bay’s offense ranked first in the NFL in points per game and third in yards per game since he joined the Buccaneers in 2019. All in all, Kerr thinks Leftwich is ready to become a head coach in the NFL and help Trevor Lawrence take the next step.

"The 42-year-old is ready for his first head coaching job and working with Trevor Lawrence is a good start for turning the franchise around. A former NFL quarterback with an innovative passing attack would bring some excitement to Jacksonville."

Two former Jaguars players speak highly of Byron Leftwich.

Ok, so that’s one opinion but Kerr isn’t the only one who thinks Leftwich would do a good job in Jacksonville. Former Jaguars running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, who were in the same locker room as him, endorsed him.

Jones-Drew, who played with Leftwich in 2006, made an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show and said that his former teammate has what it takes to get the job done and has no trouble connecting with his players.

"He understands the pressures that many of us may not know, what it takes to play at a high level in that city. And then also a guy that can relate in that locker room and make sure that everyone feels as if their voice is heard and that they’re needed and wanted and so there’s a lot of those things."

Jones-Drew goes on to praise the Jaguars for taking their time in their coaching search. On the other hand, Taylor, who played with Leftwich from 2003 to 2006, said on social media that the former quarterback is ready when asked to share his thoughts on him. He witnessed first hand “his smarts and sense of urgency, along with the ability to communicate”. Here’s the post in question.

There you go, Leftwich has all the attributes you want in a good head coach and should get a second interview with the Jaguars soon. As of this writing, the organization hasn’t scheduled it yet but may not be long before they do. Since the Buccaneers are still in the NFL playoffs, they will have to wait a bit before they meet with him.