Reports: Jaguars request to interview Cowboys, Bucs assistant coaches

Earlier this month, the NFL approved a new rule allowing head coach interviews during the last two weeks of the season. The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking advantage.

According to multiple reports, Jacksonville has reached out to several Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys assistants. Byron Leftwich, Todd Bowles, Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn are all on the Jaguars’ wish list. Additionally, former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s interview is scheduled for this week.

The new NFL rule allows teams to conduct virtual interviews with current coaches after Week 16 if the coach who started the year isn’t with the team anymore. So far, only Jacksonville and the Las Vegas Raiders can reach out to candidates to do interviews during the season. The Jaguars fired Urban Meyer this month and Jon Gruden resigned as Raiders coach earlier this season.

However, teams can also set up in-season interviews if they’ve informed the coach that he won’t return next season.

Meeting the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching candidates

Last week, reports said the Jaguars were interested in Pederson. He coached the Eagles from 2016-20 and led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title in 2018.

Leftwich, Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator, has come up in multiple coaching circles the last couple years. He got his coaching start with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 as the quarterbacks coach before moving to Tampa Bay as interim offensive coordinator in 2018. Leftwich became the full-time OC in 2019.

Bowles, meanwhile, is Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator. He’s also a hot name in the coaching carousel and has head coaching experience with the Jets from 2015-18. Bowles also joined Tampa Bay in 2019 and has been the architect of the Buccaneers’ defense.

Moore, 33, is the youngest name on the list. He got into coaching in 2018 as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach and moved up to offensive coordinator in 2019. In his role, he helped turn Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Co. into one of the league’s highest-powered offenses.

Quinn, like Bowles, became a defensive coordinator again after a head coaching stint. He coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-20 and is in his first season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. He helped turned Dallas’ defense around this season to become one of the best in the NFL.