The seemingly inevitable finally came to pass for Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on Thursday, when he was relieved of his duties after four seasons.
The dismissal marked a stunning turn of events after Leftwich interviewed for head coaching jobs last offseason and reportedly received an offer from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Buccaneers' offense was largely successful under Leftwich, ranking among the league's best in each of his first three years -- including during their Super Bowl title season in 2020 -- before slipping precipitously in 2022.
This season was one of upheaval for the Bucs, with former head coach Bruce Arians moving into an advisory role, while former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was promoted to head coach.
The team dealt with injuries to several key players, while quarterback Tom Brady played like something other than a future Hall of Famer for the first time in his career.
After finishing 8-9 in the regular season, Bowles and team brass apparently decided changes were necessary.
Leftwich's firing was reported earlier in the week, but still was met with a range of reactions on social media, many of them indicating the former Jaguars, Falcons, Steelers and Bucs quarterback hadn't gone a fair shake.
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