Byron Leftwich expected to remove himself from consideration for Jaguars’ head coach opening, per report

The next Jacksonville Jaguars head coach will apparently not be former Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich. According to a report from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Leftwich is expected to remove himself from consideration for the job, leaving former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson and Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia as top candidates. 

Last weekend, it seemed as though Leftwich might be on the verge of taking the job, but there was a sticking point. He reportedly did not want to work with Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, and suggested the team hire Arizona Cardinals vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson. (Leftwich and Wilson had previously worked together when Leftwich was the offensive coordinator under Bruce Arians in Arizona.) 

It was even reported that the duo would indeed be landing in Jacksonville, only for the Jaguars to apparently have an 11th-hour change of heart regarding a first-time head coach and general manager. Baalke’s presence in Jacksonville has reportedly been viewed as a negative by other candidates for the Jaguars job. He has been the subject of widespread criticism by other executives and even former players. 

However, as CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported, the backlash to Baalke has not had an effect on Jaguars owner Shad Khan. “Jaguars owner Shad Khan severely underestimated the fan reaction — nay, revolt — over his intention to retain GM Trent Baalke. But I’m told Khan remains steadfast in his decision to retain Baalke as general manager of the team moving forward,” Jones reported last week.

Leftwich has been considered a top candidate in each of the last two coaching cycles, but ultimately has yet to land a top job. Still just 42 years old and presumably early in his coaching career, Leftwich figures to get a shot eventually. But as the lawsuit filed this week by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores shows, Black coaches do not always get the volume or quality of opportunities one would expect based on their qualifications. 

Arians has been open about his considering Leftwich a future head coach, even going so far as to have Leftwich call plays so that he would not be open to the “doesn’t call plays” criticism when he interviewed for jobs. It appears he was a strong candidate in Jacksonville, only for the team to flinch at parting ways with an executive who is not particularly well-liked in league circles and who does not have much of a track record of success in Jacksonville. So, Leftwich missed out on an opportunity that was seemingly built for a candidate like him — young, forward-thinking, offensive-minded, a former Jaguars quarterback himself who could work to mold 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. If he comes out of another coaching cycle without a top job, there is no guarantee he gets one in the future.