The Bills promoted Joe Brady to head coach on Tuesday. Brady apparently already knows who he wants as his defensive coordinator.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Broncos defensive pass coordinator Jim Leonhard is expected to be a leading candidate to become the next defensive coordinator for the Bills.
The Bills have to comply with the Rooney Rule before hiring Leonhard.
After eight seasons in the college ranks, Leonhard joined the Broncos in 2024 as defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. He added the title of assistant head coach in 2025.
Bobby Babich has served as the defensive coordinator for the Bills for the past two seasons. In 2024, the Bills ranked 11th in scoring defense (21.6) and 17th in total defense (341.5). The Bills were seventh (293.1) in total offense and 12th in scoring (21.5) in 2025.
