Patriots Reportedly Interview Surprising Head Coach Candidate

The Patriots reportedly were going to conduct a “wide-ranging search,” but fans were surprised when this name was brought up Tuesday.

According to The Athletic’s Mike Jones, New England will interview Byron Leftwich for its vacant head-coaching position. The former Buccaneers offensive coordinator last coached in the NFL in 2022 and helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV.

It’s unknown how interested the Patriots are in Leftwich. The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one non-white candidate before hiring a head coach. Leftwich was a quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals and was on Bruce Arians’ staff for the NFC West side from 2016-18 before arriving in Tampa Bay. A poor season in Tom Brady’s final year led to his dismissal, but he was a speculated candidate to be another team’s offensive coordinator. Brady also spoke highly of Leftwich during their time together, and the retired NFL quarterback has play-calling experience.

Whether or not he’ll be a head coach will depend on the interview process, but Tuesday’s news marked the first time Leftwich was associated with the NFL since the Buccaneers fired him. An assistant job also could be in the 44-year-old’s future.

New England also scheduled interviews with Detriot Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel.