The Buffalo Bills have hired one of the most sought-after coaches in the NFL in Broncos defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard.
The Buffalo Bills have hired one of the more sought-after coaches in the NFL. According to multiple reports, the Bills have hired Jim Leonhard as their defensive coordinator.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport was the first to report the hiring on Saturday morning.
"Sources: The Bills are hiring Broncos defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard as their new defensive coordinator," he posted on social media. "They have agreed to terms. A big hire for new coach Joe Brady. The former player, Leonhard was coveted."
Leonhard joins the Bills after interviewing with Buffalo, the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Ravens for the same role.
From the moment Buffalo announced Joe Brady as head coach, reports surfaced that Leonhard was at the top of the list for the team's defensive coordinator. The 43-year-old Leonhard spent 10 years playing in NFL. He began his career with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin with stops in Baltimore, New York (Jets), Denver, and Cleveland.
As a coach, Leonhard spent seven seasons with Wisconsin before moving to Illinois as a senior football analyst. His first coaching job in the NFL came in 2024 as the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator with Denver.
In 2025 he moved up to being an assistant head coach with the Broncos under Sean Payton.
Now, with the Bills, Leonhard will have to opportunity as a defensive coordinator in the league for the first time. And with a new head coach in Brady, Leonhard will be responsible for shaping a defense in his own image that has struggled over the years at stopping the run and getting to the quarterback.
As of writing, Buffalo has yet to officially announce the hiring of Leonhard or any of the reported coordinators. The Bills are expected to hire Pete Carmichael Jr. as offensive coordinator and former Arizona Cardinals Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Rodgers.
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