Former Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator and longtime NFL starting quarterback Byron Leftwich has joined Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado. Sanders introduced Leftwich during a team meeting Tuesday, as revealed in a video posted by Thee Pregame Show. Leftwich interviewed for several jobs at the NFL level in recent years but is now tasked with developing a pivotal quarterback room in Boulder.
“With the quarterbacks, he is going to do what he does. He has a wealth of knowledge. With him and Pat [Shurmur] and what the whole staff brings offensively, we’re going to go to another level,” Sanders said to the team with Leftwich at his side. “You should feel blessed. This guy knows what he is doing and he’s going to be an intricate part of our success. I already know that. So let’s welcome Coach Leftwich.”
Leftwich, 45, served as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-22, helping lead the franchise to Super Bowl LV while coaching Tom Brady. He had a meteoric rise after starting his career as a coaching intern in 2016, ascending through the Arizona Cardinals organization. Leftwich has been interviewed for several NFL head-coaching jobs but never landed one of those coveted roles.
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Having a knack for producing prolific quarterbacks, in all four seasons as an offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers, Leftwich helped orchestrate a top-two passing offense each season. Coaching Brady certainly helped, but Leftwich coached Brady to his first 5,000-yard season and 40-touchdown campaign in more than a decade.
Colorado’s interesting QB situation in 2025 season
With quarterback Shedeur Sanders off to the NFL, the Buffaloes have a major question at the position. Ryan Staub, Sanders’ backup for two seasons, is back, but the quarterback competition is expected to come down to heralded freshman Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty. Lewis ranked as the No. 10 quarterback in the country, while Salter won Conference USA MVP in 2023 after leading the Flames to the Fiesta Bowl.
Lewis, especially, is viewed as the future of the program. He has received comparisons to Bryce Young for his processing and decision-making despite reclassifying and skipping his senior season of high school. Leftwich should be a sensational presence for Lewis early in his career.
While the offense belongs to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Leftwich should also be able to help Salter develop as a passer. The senior averaged 9.9 yards per attempt during his breakout sophomore season, but has only completed 58.7% of passes for his career. A notable jump in accuracy could make him a potential NFL Draft prospect.
Leftwich joins a Colorado staff filled with former NFL stars. Sanders hired fellow Hall of Famers running back Marshall Faulk and defensive lineman Warren Sapp to position coach roles. Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston also spent most of their careers at the professional level.
The Buffaloes face a pivotal season in 2025 after Shedeur Sanders and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter left for the NFL Draft after a breakout 9-4 season. It’s unclear at this point what formal role Leftwich will play on Sanders’ staff, but he should have plenty of insight for the quarterbacks.
Prior to his coaching career, Leftwich was a prolific player at both the NFL and college levels. He threw for more than 10,000 yards during a 10-year career with 50 starts and won a Super Bowl as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009. He was also two-time MAC MVP at Marshall, leading the Thundering Herd to a 22-4 record over two seasons.
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