The Buffalo Bills officially introduced their new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard on Thursday, as he comes back to Buffalo, but for the first time as a coach. Leonhard played with the Bills in two different stints but as an undrafted free agent, he still managed to have a ten-year career with the Bills, Ravens, Jets, Broncos, and Browns.
Leonhard joined Wisconsin’s coaching staff and put together some very impressive defensive units there, which ultimately helped him land in the NFL with the Broncos as their pass game coordinator the last two seasons. Now he will get his chance at running a defense in Buffalo.
The great thing for Leonhard is that he will have full autonomy with the defense because Joe Brady is still calling the offensive plays, being an offensive-minded coach.
With Leonhard now in charge of this defense, one player that could heavily benefit from his presence is safety Cole Bishop, who took a big step forward this past season for the Bills. The presence of Jordan Poyer really helped him, and now it’s time for him to keep going.
When you see what kind of player Bishop is, what kind of safety Leonhard was, there are some similarities. In his press conference, Leonhard talked about how “Bishop is the kind of safety he wanted to be” per Sal Capaccio.
"I was a very big fan of Cole (Bishop) coming out of college." -- Jim Leonhard who said Bishop is the kind of safety he wanted to be, as well. Mentioned Bishop's versatility.
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) February 5, 2026
Cole Bishop set to hit new levels with Jim Leonhard as Bills' DC
After starting off the 2025 season in a bit of a rough stretch, Bishop really came alive on the field with great attack of the ball, and knowing where the ball was going. He also continued to deliver some hard hits as well, showing Bills fans that he is the future of the back end of the defense.
With Leonhard coming into town now, Bishop’s ceiling seems to be as high as ever. With the defense that Leonhard operates and his physicality that he demands from his players, Bishop has the chance to become not just a Pro Bowl player, but potentially an All-Pro safety.
Leonhard’s specialty is the secondary, and with his experience in Denver the last two seasons, Bishop has the greatest chance to thrive the most on this defense. Now granted, Leonhard will have to also fix this run-defense, but he also can’t ignore the signs of greatness that Bishop showed last season.