Cowboys’ Praise of Jim Leonhard Is Worth Watching for Broncos

Could Dallas being eyeing Denver's defensive coordinator in waiting?

Denver Broncos secondary coach and pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard coaches safety P.J. Locke (6) during the offseason training program. | Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

Accumulating 14 wins and securing the top playoff seed in the AFC was always going to bring the Denver Broncos assistant coaches to the attention of other teams looking to replicate the formula for success. 

Case in point: defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is a red-hot coaching commodity, with the Baltimore Ravens also requesting to interview the Broncos' assistant. 

Furthermore, Joseph's trusted lieutenant, Jim Leonhard, might be on the Dallas Cowboys' radar for their vacant defensive coordinator spot after they parted ways with Matt Eberflus. Leonhard has been Denver's secondary coach since 2023 and has also served as the defensive pass game coordinator this season.

"I saw Jim [Leonhard] before we played Denver," Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer explained, via the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Nick Harris. "Jim's a heck of a football coach. You talk about a great football player, man. We had some great years together in New York." 

Schottenheimer knows Leonhard well from their time together with the New York Jets, so reviving the connection could prove pivotal if a genuine approach were made. Leonhard was a safety playing for the Jets, while Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator under head coach Rex Ryan.

"Again, I would not say we've stayed in touch," Schottenheimer said via Harris. "This business is hard. You get going a million miles [an hour]. You gotta speak to what Sean [Payton] and what that entire staff has done there. Vance Joseph is a guy I have a ton of respect for. Jim's an excellent coach." 

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Insiders Buzzing

Dec 21, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer watches pregame warmups against the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas insiders have tapped Leonhard as the favorite for the Cowboys' defensive coordinator vacancy. This is a situation that could rapidly spin out of control, but how the Broncos act might be based around what Joseph opts to do.

Schottenheimer's respect and admiration for Payton and his staff are clearly genuine, but going public regarding Leonhard this early will undoubtedly alert the Broncos to the risk of losing a rising star in their coaching ranks whom they’d rather not see walk away.

Sean Payton knows full well that it wouldn't be right to block the rapidly ascending career path of Joseph, and even quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, but having Leonhard poached by Dallas might sit a bit differently for Denver's head coach.

After all, there was always a strong succession plan in place when it came to bringing Leonhard on board to work under Joseph in Denver. If and when the Broncos' defensive coordinator job opens up, Leonhard is purportedly the coach in waiting.

That anticipated scenario appears set to play out in the coming weeks, so it would likely foil Payton's plan if Leonhard were to take the Cowboys' defensive coordinator job. Schottenheimer might believe he could catch Payton off guard by stealing one of his key lieutenants, especially as the Broncos head coach is focused on the playoffs and a Super Bowl title. 

Using some old-fashioned flattery is a useful tool in the Schottenheimer arsenal, but Payton will keep abreast of every overture made to Leonhard and other Broncos assistants. 

Sheer diligence will be a key defense when it comes to keeping Leonhard, but the deep pockets of the Walton-Penner ownership group could be the ace in the hole when it comes to going toe-to-toe with Dallas supremo Jerry Jones. 

Ultimately, Leonhard needs only to look around his meeting room to see the stockpile of blue-chip defenders he may have the golden opportunity to lead forward — that's if he needs any additional encouragement to stay put.