Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesThe New Orleans Saints have requested an interview with the offensive coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to a report by Adam Schefter.
New Orleans is in search of a new head coach after long time coach Sean Payton announced his resignation this week and said he intends to take time away from coaching in 2022.
Leftwich played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2006 and has been a hot head coaching candidate in recent weeks.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Jags were trying to finalize an agreement for Leftwich to become their head coach, but then another report said that negotiations had hit a roadblock.
After working as a quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals, Leftwich was hired as the quarterbacks coach for the ArizonaCardinals, and then as an interim offensive line coach for the team.
Leftwich worked wonders with the offense of the Buccaneers in 2019.
The Bucs ranked third in both total offense and scoring offense with Jameis Winston at quarterback. He threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdown.
The mistakes led to the signing of Brady in free agency.
The combination of Leftwich and Brady worked well, with the Buccaneers ranking seventh in total offense and third in scoring in 2020, and second in both categories in 2021.
At the end of the 2020 campaign, Leftwich was a part of the team that won their second Super Bowl.
Leftwich spent 10 years in the NFL as a quarterback with the Jags, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Bucs.
The success of the Saints could make New Orleans an attractive opportunity for Leftwich.
The Saints made the playoffs nine times and won seven division titles in the 15 seasons that Payton was the head coach.
They made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, but missed out this year with a 9-8 record.
If the Saints re-sign Jameis Winston, it could potentially interest Leftwich given that they worked together in the same city in 2019.
It could be a winning combination in New Orleans, because Leftwich got the most out of him, even though he struggled with turnovers.
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