Former Wisconsin Badgers coach Jim Leonhard being linked to Packers vacant defensive coordinator job

Pundits around the NFL are already connecting former Wisconsin Badgers player and coach Jim Leonhard to the vacant defensive coordinator position on the Green Bay Packers,

Former Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is being linked to the Green Bay Packers under Matt LeFluer | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers fans won't get to see Jim Leonhard on the sidelines in Madison anytime soon, but they could see him coaching in-state again.

Pundits around the NFL are already connecting the former Badgers player and coach to the vacant defensive coordinator position on the Green Bay Packers, though they haven't requested a formal interview for the position yet.

It's becoming more than just fan speculation, though. Reporters who cover Leonhard's current team, the Denver Broncos, plus those who cover other teams that need defensive coordinators, are linking Leonhard to the Packers.

Packers could be contenders for former Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard if current GB DC Jeff Hafley is hired as a HC. https://t.co/tNAxxDsOHW

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) January 17, 2026

I would expect the Packers to have interest in Broncos Jim Leonhard for their soon-to-be open DC job. https://t.co/FvBHhKYBPM

— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 19, 2026

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The move would make sense for both sides.

Leonhard is currently the defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach for the Denver Broncos and looking to make the step up to defensive coordinator.

His team is playing in the AFC Championship game, so he won't leave until they are eliminated.

Popular candidate, with local ties

He is a Wisconsin native, and coaching for the Packers would allow him to bring his family back to his home state.

Green Bay's defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was just hired to be the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Packers head coach Matt LaFluer previously offered the defensive coordinator role to Leonhard when it was vacant back in 2021, but he declined it because he wanted to stay with the Badgers at the time.

Little did he know, he would take over as interim head coach the following year, only to be replaced by Luke Fickell.

Now, the role is open in Green Bay once again, and Leonhard is in a good position to take it if it is offered to him.

Perhaps worth noting that #Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard turned down the Packers DC job under Matt LaFleur in 2021 because he figured at the time he'd be at Wisconsin for the long haul. https://t.co/En5aHWty2p

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) January 17, 2026

Related: Two former Wisconsin Badgers coaches interviewing for Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator job

He is expected to have plenty of suitors, with a number of coordinator jobs open this hiring cycle.

The Dallas Cowboys have already requested an interview with him, and he is also being linked to the New York Giants, where he could reunite with his former coach John Harbaugh.

If Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph gets a head coaching job, Leonhard could also be promoted on his own tea.

He will almost certainly be a defensive coordinator somewhere in the NFL for 2026. The only question is whether he returns home or takes his talents somewhere else.

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