Byron Leftwich Details Failed Pursuit of Jaguars HC Job

Byron Leftwich looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars' next head coach in 2022, until he didn't. Now, he has finally spoken on it.

Sep 8, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Bryon Leftwich against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

With the 2024 season coming to a close in the matter of a few short days, it is very possible the Jacksonville Jaguars are entering the final week of the Doug Pederson era.

In a sense of full-circle timing, this week is also the first time former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator and ex-Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich has spoken on the job that Pederson got instead of him in 2022.

After the Jaguars fired Urban Meyer during the 2021 season, Leftwich was seen as a top candidate to replace him. He had ties to the franchise and community, found success as a play-caller for Tampa Bay, and had been around top influences like Tom Brady and Bruce Arians.

And for a time, it looked like Leftwich was the favorite to land the job ... until he wasn't. Report after report came out that Leftwich wanted a new structure in the front office and that he and general manager Trent Baalke were a pair that were set to clash.

The weeks dragged on and, eventually, the Jaguars gave Pederson the not over Leftwich. And in an interview with The Athletic, Leftwich spoke on not getting the Jaguars job for the first time.

“The stories started out of nowhere. I thought I was in a good spot, didn’t even talk to anybody. I understand this business, and I’m wise enough to know not to talk about what you’re going through when you’re going through it,” Leftwich told The Athletic.

“I never turned down that job because they never offered it. There were a lot of stories out there and I never spoke on it, but I never turned it down.”

While the story in 2022 was that Leftwich took himself out of the running for the Jaguars job, he has now cleared up that the opposite was true. He wanted the job; he just didn't get it. And now, the Jaguars are likely set to look for yet another head coach

“I was willing and ready to take that (Jaguars) job,” Leftwich said.

“That’s where I played, and I was very interested in trying to help that situation — all hands on deck — really trying to help that situation, because I know that city, I know the fan base and I thought that they had really good players down there that you can win football games with.

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