Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich is a “rising star”
By Cory Kinnan
Byron Leftwich gets his first crack at being a full-time offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year and could be a star-in-waiting.
ESPN staff writer Jenna Laine published an article this morning, detailing interactions with the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Byron Leftwich. New head coach Bruce Arians has pegged Leftwich as “a rising star in this business” (Arians via ESPN).
Arians has an impressive coaching tree that has blossomed out new Cleveland Browns’ head coach Freddie Kitchens and their quarterback coach Ryan Lindley, who has raised the rankings quickly as well. Todd Bowles, now the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator landed his gig in New York with the Jets after coaching under Arians as well. Leftwich could be the next from Arians’ tree to branch out and become a head coach in this league.
In Laine’s article, she details interactions between Leftwich and Arians, including Bucco Bruce practically forcing Leftwich out of retirement.
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"“After playing 10 seasons in the NFL… [Leftwich] wanted to get away from football… But Arians’ unrelenting phone calls were too much.” Laine lays out that Leftwich’s vacation did not last long as he could not walk past a television “without getting sucked right back into football” (Laine via ESPN)."
Arians had begun grooming Leftwich from their time in Pittsburgh when he was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers and Leftwich was backing up Ben Roethlisberger, “developing the kind of relationship in which Leftwich could tell what Arians was thinking and the plays he’d call next” (Laine via ESPN). Needless to say, Leftwich is well equipped to call plays under Arians and in his system with the Buccaneers this year and into the future.
Leftwich took over the play calling duties in Arizona after Mike McCoy was fired by the Cardinals after six games, and even though the young Cardinals still struggled, they improved. Arizona running back David Johnson’s yard per game jumped up about 20 yards after Leftwich took over and rookie quarterback Josh Rosen deemed Leftwich a “steady force” (ESPN).