Buffs Beat

Deion Sanders To Hire Former Tom Brady Coach Byron Leftwich To Colorado Staff?

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who won a Super Bowl with legendary quarterback Tom Brady, was rumored to be a recent Colorado Buffaloes practice. Is Colorado coach Deion Sanders trying to hire Leftwich?

Harrison Simeon

Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.
Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Deion Sanders may have just added another NFL name to his Colorado Buffaloes coaching staff.

In a recent Reach the People Media video by Deion Sanders Jr. documenting Colorado's Tuesday practice, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich appeared to be in attendance, sporting Buffaloes gear and a clipboard. The possible sighting sparked mass speculation and excitement about a potential coaching role.

While there has been no official notice of Leftwich joining the Buffaloes' staff or even his presence among the Buffaloes program, his appearance may spoil one of the "huge moves" alluded to by "Coach Prime" during Monday's presser. As of Tuesday, Colorado does not have a designated quarterbacks coach, further stirring the rumor mill that Leftwich could take the position.

“We have a couple more huge moves we’ll probably make this week,” Sanders said. “Maybe one next week that you’re going to really appreciate the understanding of how wonderful this staff is.”

Leftwich's extensive NFL history would make him a hire of seismic proportions. He was quarterback Tom Brady's offensive coordinator during Tampa Bay's Super Bowl-winning season in 2021.

Leftwich earned high marks and interviewed for several head coaching jobs the following offseason but was not hired. After the 2022 season, the Buccaneers fired him, ending his time on the sidelines to date.

He started his NFL journey as a quarterback, drafted No. 7 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2003. Leftwich enjoyed a 10-year career as mostly a journeyman backup, passing for 10,532 yards and 58 touchdowns with five different teams. He won a Super Bowl as Ben Roethlisberger's second-stringer in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Leftwich started his coaching career in 2016, interning for Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals. He climbed the ranks to quarterbacks coach by year two, then to interim offensive coordinator under coach Steve Wilks in 2018. Leftwich was fired by Arizona after a 3-13 season, but he re-joined Arians in Tampa Bay shortly after.

After just one campaign with the Buccaneers, Arians delegated play-calling duties to Leftwich and sang his praises as an offensive mind. Once he was fired, however, Leftwich's aspirations to become a head coach quickly lost steam.

Regardless, the 45-year-old would be a massive addition to the laundry list of notable NFL names already on Coloroado's staff.

Byron Leftwich Tom Brady
Nov 27, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Earlier this offseason, Sanders hired Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk to coach the position where he became one of the greatest of ever play in the pros. Last March, Warren Sapp joined the staff as a graduate assistant. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur coached in the NFL for 21 years, including four as a head coach before joining the Buffs.

Most notably, Robert Livingston spent over a decade with the Cincinnati Bengals' staff before orchestrating a major turnaround and becoming the highest-paid assistant coach in Colorado history as defensive coordinator.

With quarterbacks Kaidon Salter, Julian Lewis and Ryan Staub battling it out to become next season's starting quarterback, a coach with the pedigree and experience of Leftwich would be instrumental for their development.

Leftwich could also be a perfect complement to Shurmur in offensive game-planning and schematics. Sanders' hires continue to trend Colorado toward an NFL-ready environment, bringing in one excellent pro mind after another to aid the Buffs' professional development.

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Harrison Simeon
HARRISON SIMEON

Harrison Simeon is a beat writer for Colorado Buffaloes On SI. Formerly, he was a writer for Colorado Buffaloes Wire of the USA TODAY Sports network and freelance utility for FOX Sports, working at venues such as Empower Field at Mile High Stadium and Folsom Field. He is finishing his journalism degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he has passionately covered football, basketball, and other school programs through its student-run sports media organization, Sko Buffs Sports. As its Associate Producer, he has traveled to six states to cover events such as the 2024 Valero Alamo Bowl, the 2024 Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament, and the 2025 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship. He also captained the organization’s exponential growth in membership and on social media, where his posts have been featured on ESPN and Bleacher Report. While with SI, he interns at the Boulder Daily Camera, one of Colorado’s most revered newspapers. He is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana.

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