Bears Head Coach Search: Byron Leftwich Interview Before Rams Game

Report: Leftwich interview with Bears Thursday or Friday originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

In the NFL to be the best, you’ve gotta beat the best. Or maybe hire them away? That could be the thinking at Halas Hall, as reports have emerged saying later this week the Bears will interview the offensive coordinator from the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.

You could say it’s easy designing an offense around Tom Brady and the Bucs’ glut of weapons. But bringing a bunch of superstars together doesn’t always work, and Leftwich has helped Bruce Arians put together one the most complete offenses in the NFL, even with star receiver Chris Godwin missing the end of the season with a torn ACL, and Antonio Brown walking out on the team. As the Bears develop Fields, it wouldn’t hurt having a guy who just worked with Brady either.

Leftwich got his coaching start as quarterbacks coach under Bruce Arians for the Cardinals in 2017. He was also promoted to interim offensive coordinator for Arizona in 2018. Then, when Arians was hired to be the Bucs head coach in 2019, Leftwich followed, but this time as Arians’ OC. Leftwich has worked in that same capacity ever since.

When Leftwich arrived, along with Arians, in 2019, they took over an offense that ranked 12th in points scored the year prior. In their first year, the Bucs improved to the No. 3 scoring offense in the league, but the team went 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs with the defense lagging behind a little bit. In 2020, Tom Brady joined the team and proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle. The Bucs ranked No. 3 in scoring again, but this time they parlayed that into a Lombardi trophy. Somehow, this season has gone even better for the Bucs, as they finished No. 2 in the NFL in points scored.

Leftwich and the Bucs have a date with the Rams next weekend for a chance to play in the NFC Championship game.

Leftwich has reportedly already interviewed for the Jaguars head coaching vacancy.

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