Former Cleveland Browns Safety Set To Lead Buffalo’s Defense

The Cleveland Browns haven’t filled any of their outstanding vacancies on staff yet, including the ever so important head coach and offensive coordinator positions, but several people with ties to the franchise have been in the news lately.

One of those former Browns is making some headlines for the Buffalo Bills.

Former Browns’ safety Jim Leonhard is set to become Buffalo’s next offensive coordinator according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The news comes on the same day that the Bills announced the promotion of offensive coordinator Joe Brady as the team’s newest head coach.

Sources: Broncos defensive pass coordinator Jim Leonhard is expected to be a leading candidate to become the next defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. pic.twitter.com/LuWD0G4u3a
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2026

Leonhard spent the last season as assistant head coach & defensive pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos, and held the title of defensive backs coach & pass game coordinator one year before, with the same team.

A former NFL safety, Leonhard played the 2014 season -- his last in the league -- as free safety for the Browns. He came into the league in 2005 with the Bills as an undrafted rookie, after a standout career at Wisconsin where he was a walk-on. Leonhard subsequently played for the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Denver Broncos and the Bills again, before landing in Cleveland.

As a Browns player, Leonhard started five out of 16 games he appeared in, racking up 42 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defended and a sack.

As a coach, Leonhard got his start back at his alma mater in 2016, before eventually becoming the team’s interim head coach in 2022, when he also carried defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach titles. He served as a senior football analyst for Illinois in 2023, before making the leap to the NFL with Denver.

Leonhard also sparked interest from the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Jets for their respective defensive coordinator openings, according to multiple reports. Leonhard had been widely viewed as a future defensive coordinator, with some suggesting he could succeed Vance Joseph in Denver. Now he’ll get a chance to run his own defense at the pro level in Buffalo.

Will the Browns also need a new defensive coordinator?

The Browns haven’t made any formal announcement in regards to who their next head coach will be as of yet, with many speculating that the team could be inching towards its current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, or Los Angeles Rams’ pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase as the last two men standing in the process.

Should Cleveland lean towards Schwartz, then the team will have to add a new defensive coordinator, along with their existing offensive coordinator vacancy. But with so many names flying off the board for both positions -- including Leonhards’ hiring -- the Browns could be left to choose from a group of not so trendy candidates.