BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When the Buffalo Bills hired Joe Brady to be the team’s new head coach, many people believed his choice of defensive coordinator would be the biggest decision he needed to make.
Brady downplayed that idea and said every coaching decision will matter, but there’s no denying the significance of the man responsible for the defense.
Two days later we learned who that man would be. The Bills hired Jim Leonhard, who played for the team from 2005 to 2007 and again in 2013. Most recently, Leonhard was the passing game coordinator/assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos. But before coming back to the NFL, Leonhard led some incredible defenses at Wisconsin.
So what should Bills fans know about their new defensive coordinator? We found the perfect person to get you up to speed. Mike Sanford coached against Leonhard while he was in Wisconsin and has covered him in Denver with Altitude Sports and at the Denver Gazette.
He shares his initial thoughts on the hire and why he believes the Bills made a great decision by hiring Leonhard. You can watch the full conversation at the top of the page!
I just had a really great conversation with @Coach_Sanford2 about Jim Leonhard. His insight was phenomenal. I'll post full conversation soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/2IDL3TayfE
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) February 2, 2026
