Cowboys Request Interview With Broncos DBs Coach Jim Leonhard

The Broncos have been fielding interview requests for their coaching staff all week.

Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator coach Jim Leonhard was named interim head coach after Paul Chryst was fired Sunday. Badgers Media Day 0577 | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Dallas Cowboys have officially requested to interview Denver Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. The Cowboys are seeking to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy following Matt Eberflus' firing.

Earlier this week, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer gushed about Leonhard.

"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." 

The Broncos could always deny the Cowboys' request and block Leonhard from interviewing, but it would be bad business. With Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph being a hot commodity on the NFL head-coaching market, the expectation is that it's only a matter of time.

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DC 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

Leonhard is purportedly Denver's top internal option to succeed Joseph, should the latter take a head-coaching gig elsewhere. Leonhard, a former NFL safety, joined Sean Payton's coaching staff in Denver back in 2024, starting out as the secondary coach.

When teams came sniffing around Leonhard during the last hiring cycle, the Broncos sweetened the pot by also giving him another title and expanded duties as the defensive pass game coordinator. Since Leonhard arrived, the Broncos saw Patrick Surtain II garner Defensive Player of the Year honors in his first year coaching the secondary.

This year, Leonhard was given more weapons with the addition of free-agent safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was easily the Broncos' best offseason addition. When Surtain went down with a pectoral injury for three weeks, Leonhard kept the secondary ship afloat, moving Riley Moss to the No. 1 cornerback spot, and rotating rookie first-rounder Jahdae Barron and the second-year Kris Abrams-Draine at cornerback.

Under Leonhard's leadership, nickel cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian produced his best season as a pro, garnering second-team All-Pro honors from Pro Football Focus. Denver's secondary has shined since Leonhard arrived, which portends well for what the defense would look like with him as the coordinator.

Leonhard's Path to Denver

That's what other teams are seeing, too. Before coming to Denver, Leonhard was a secondary coach and defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers (his alma mater), even serving as their interim head coach in 2022. After that, he spent a year as a senior football analyst with the Illinois Fighting Illini before Payton plucked him out of the college ranks.

Leonhard had a 10-year playing career in the NFL, and even spent the 2012 season with the Broncos. At 43, he's young and on the rise, and he fits perfectly the up-and-coming mold that NFL teams covet in their top coaching positions.

The Broncos are on a first-round playoff bye as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, awaiting the results of Super Wildcard Weekend. One of four teams could advance to face the Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and after this week passes, Payton will be expecting his coaching staff to be fully focused on the opponent that advances to face them.

Besides Joseph and Leonhard, two other Broncos assistants have garnered interest around the league this week. Quarterbacks coach Davis Webb has interviewed for head-coaching jobs, as has special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.

As the head coach of the 14-win Broncos, it's a good problem for Payton to have.