Editing Byron Leftwich (section)

====Jacksonville Jaguars====
Publicity from MACtion games helped make the obscure Leftwich a top ten draft selection.{{r|sherman20191119}} At the [[2003 NFL draft]], the [[Minnesota Vikings]] and [[Baltimore Ravens]] agreed to a trade to move the Ravens into position to take him with Minnesota's seventh overall selection. However, one of the teams had second thoughts at the last minute and the Vikings missed the allotted time for their pick. As a result, the Vikings had defaulted on their selection and consequently moved back to the ninth pick. The Jaguars, who were originally slotted to be drafting eighth overall, were taken up to the seventh pick, and they used it to take Leftwich.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2003 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2003/draft.htm |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Byron Leftwich Jaguars 2005.jpg|thumb|Leftwich with the Jaguars in 2005]]
Leftwich took over as the Jaguars starting quarterback in game four of his rookie year after [[Mark Brunell]] was injured in the previous week's matchup against the [[Indianapolis Colts]].

For the first 10 games of the 2005 regular season, Leftwich was developing into the quarterback the Jaguars believed he would become when they picked him in the first round. He attained a passer rating of 89.3, ninth-best in the NFL, and a 3:1 touchdown:interception ratio (15:5).

However, in the Week 12 game against the [[Arizona Cardinals]], Leftwich suffered a broken ankle after being sacked by Cardinals' safety [[Adrian Wilson (American football)|Adrian Wilson]] on the first play of the game. Leftwich missed the remaining five games of the regular season. He returned against the [[New England Patriots]] in the AFC Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Patriots won 28–3.

Leftwich entered his fourth NFL season as the Jaguars' starting quarterback, but without veteran wide receiver [[Jimmy Smith (wide receiver)|Jimmy Smith]], who suddenly retired in May 2006. Leftwich led the Jaguars to victories on national television in consecutive weeks against the favored [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] to begin the 2006 season. Leftwich suffered an [[ankle]] injury in a Week 4 loss to the [[Washington Redskins]].  Following a Week 6 loss to the [[Houston Texans]], Leftwich had surgery to repair the ankle, which effectively ended his season.

[[David Garrard]] replaced Leftwich for the remainder of the season. In his first seven games as Leftwich's replacement, Garrard led the Jaguars to five wins and two losses and an 8–5 record through 13 games. Garrard's and the team's success in Leftwich's absence led to speculation that the Jaguars might seek to replace Leftwich permanently with Garrard. However, the Jaguars lost the three final games of the season, preventing the team from making the playoffs, and Garrard struggled in each game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29078&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&season=2006&week=REG15 |title=Watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans |work=NFL.com |date= December 17, 2006|access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> Garrard's ineffectiveness prompted Jaguars head coach [[Jack Del Rio]] to replace him with backup [[Quinn Gray]].

In February 2007, Del Rio publicly reaffirmed his commitment to Leftwich, formally naming him as the team's starter over Garrard and Gray.

After observing Leftwich's and Garrard's performances throughout the 2007 preseason, in the week preceding the first regular season game of 2007, Del Rio named Garrard the team's starter and declared that Leftwich would be either cut or traded.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jaguars.com/News/Article.aspx?id=6273|title=Jags trying to move Leftwich|first=Vic|last=Ketchman|publisher=[[Jacksonville Jaguars]]|date=August 31, 2007|access-date=September 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008142527/http://www.jaguars.com//news/Article.aspx?id=6273|archive-date=October 8, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Jaguars cut Leftwich on September 1, 2007.