Byron Leftwich joins Seahawks OC hunt after Patriots snub

Two weeks after firing first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, the Seattle Seahawks are already interviewing preliminary candidates. The search continued with an interview with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant Byron Leftwich, who was recently involved with the New England Patriots' head coaching hiring process.

The Seahawks interviewed Leftwich on Friday, per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones. Leftwich, 45, was most recently the Buccaneers offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022 and is seeking a return to the NFL.

Leftwich has been out of the league for two years but continues to remain a popular name brought up for vacant coaching positions. Before the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as Jerod Mayo's successor, they showed significant interest in Leftwich for the job.

With the Buccaneers, Leftwich notably coached the Tom Brady-led offense that claimed Super Bowl LV. After he was fired following the 2022 season, many believed he was used as a scapegoat for the offense's shortcomings in Brady's final season.

Leftwich does not have any connections to either general manager John Schneider or head coach Mike Macdonald. However, Macdonald, known for his elite defensive mind, has little experience coaching offenses. His goal of seeking a coordinator to take the majority control of his offense fits what Leftwich did with the Buccaneers in his last job.

Seahawks' offensive regression under Ryan Grubb

The Seahawks fired Grubb to open up the position after failing to make the playoffs. While quarterback Geno Smith finished fourth in passing yards in the regular season, star wideout DK Metcalf and running back Kenneth Walker III both statistically regressed in Grubb's offense. Seattle ended the year as a middle-of-the-road team in total offense, yards per game and points per game.

Walker appeared in just 12 games and recorded a mere 573 total rushing yards on the year. His total output and efficiency have dipped in each of his three years in the league. Backup Zach Charbonnet's numbers simultaneously increased in his second season, either matching or surpassing Walker in every category despite starting just five games.

Metcalf's drop-off was not as drastic, but the big-bodied wideout failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2021. He also ended the year with a career-low five touchdowns and was phased out by opposing defenses far too often.

The lone improvement the Seahawks came in the form of second-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba. After a letdown rookie year, Smith-Njigba broke out down the stretch of the season to end 2024 with a team-leading 1,130 receiving yards and six touchdowns.