When the Buffalo Bills opted to hire Joe Brady as their next head coach, there were two immediate thoughts that should have come to mind for Bills fans. First, how this move shows that the Bills still wanted a little bit of continuity. That’s been a big theme for Buffalo for quite some time now and with Brady having been in the building since 2022, they accomplished that. Second, the defensive coordinator hiring was going to be Brady’s biggest thing to focus on.
After the Bills had hired Pete Carmichael as their offensive coordinator and Jeff Rodgers as their STC, Buffalo hit a home run with the hiring of Jim Leonhard as their next defensive coordinator. Leonhard was part of the Denver Broncos staff the last two seasons, having worked as a pass game coordinator and he helped the Broncos form one of the best defenses in the league. Prior to being with the Broncos, Leonhard was a coach at Wisconsin and Illinois at the college level.
Before going into coaching, Leonhard was a bit of a journeyman in the NFL as an undrafted free agent but he did manage to play four seasons with the Bills, giving him that experience of knowing what it’s like in crucial moments of a game. Now he gets his chance to call a defense that desperately needs to improve for the Bills.
Jim Leonhard set up to change narrative of Bills' defense in 2026
Even as a first time defensive coordinator, Greg Auman from FOX Sports believes in Leonhard going into the 2026 season, ranking him as one of the top new coordinators going into this season. Auman listed Leonhard as the No. 10 new coordinator on this list.
"Leonhard had eight years of college experience, but this is only his third season as an NFL coach, so it's a big leap for an important team as the Bills try to wrest the AFC East back from the Patriots." said Auman.
With Buffalo going forward with Leonhard calling the plays on defense, the hope is that Buffalo can change the narrative about what their defense has been the last couple of seasons under Sean McDermott. The Bills have struggled against the run and you could even make the case that they were playing to just not lose, rather than be aggressive through all four quarters.
Leonhard should be able to come in and change that philosophy. The defense is switching to a 3-4, so the change in scheme could be exactly what Buffalo needs. They have already added new pieces through free agency and the draft, and now it’s time to make it all work on the field.
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