The 2026 Buffalo Bills are going to look way different than what they have in prior years. While additions and subtractions to the roster happen every year, teams typically have the same or similar coaching staff from year-to-year. Heading into this upcoming season, that’s a different story for Buffalo.
Sean McDermott is out, Joe Brady is in as the new head coach. Since Buffalo was going from a defensive-minded head coach to now on offense, fans were very curious to see who Brady was going to hire as his defensive coordinator. The defense for the Bills has been inconsistent the past few seasons. Quite frankly, it’s been atrocious at times.
When the Bills managed to hire Jim Leonhard as their next defensive coordinator, it had Bills Mafia excited. Leonhard was destined to become a coordinator very soon as he has been a part of the Denver Broncos’ staff, which had one of if not the best defense in football over the last two seasons.
Leonhard comes to Buffalo with a major task of improving this defense, and by doing that with the switch for a 4-2-5 to a 3-4, it creates excitement for what this defense can build when you take in the fact of the additions the team made in free agency and the draft.Â
With this defense already looking promising on paper, if Leonhard can completely turn the narrative around for the Bills, he will be one of the best head coaching candidates in the near-future, and possibly even next offseason.
Joe Brady's home run hire of Jim Leonhard may only be temporary
Ben Solak from ESPN, as part of the ESPN Staff that covered various topics across the NFL, made a statement about Leonhard that could cause the Bills to only have Leonhard in the building for one year. Solak said that it wouldn't be a surprise to see Leonhard be one-and-done in Buffalo before leaving for a head coaching job.
"I won't be at all surprised if Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has the job for exactly one season before leaving for a head coaching gig." said Solak.
With the defense being revamped, losing a coordinator after one year (with assumed success) is not ideal which would put the Bills in a tough spot. Leonhard is one of those coaches that caught the eye of a lot of people across the league and the Bills are very lucky to have him on staff.
However, while fans want this defense to be successful and if they are, there could be a great chance that Leonhard leaves after one year if he proves himself as a coordinator with a defensive unit that has not been great in recent memory.
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