Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Bills will be without their longtime defensive coordinator under head coach Sean McDermott, as the team announced on Tuesday that Leslie Frazier will take a year away from coaching.
"Last week was kind of a week that we gave everyone off in the office coaches were away. During that time, Leslie reached out and just talked through some things," said Bills general manager Brandon Beane while speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. "Ultimately, he doesn't want to retire, he's not there in his mind, but he just wanted to take a step back. So, the way we left it, he's gonna take 2023 off, but talking to him, he has full plans to return to coaching in 2024."
Frazier has been a part of McDermott's staff since he was hired in Buffalo as the head coach in 2017. In his six seasons with the Bills, Frazier helped coach Buffalo's defense to being one of the top-three defensive units in three of the last four years.
The 63-year-old also served as the assistant head coach to McDermott for three seasons after adding that role to his title before the 2020 season.
"He's been here six years, and we've got a great relationship with Leslie, and he's done a great job for us and appreciate who he is. You guys know what a fine man he is," Beane said, adding it would be up to McDermott and his staff if they wanted to connect back with Frazier in the offseason this season to ask questions or consultant with him.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Frazier had texted him in a response to whether or not he would be back in Buffalo for the 2024 season by simply saying, "Just taking a break."
Beane says that McDermott and the rest of the coaching staff is trying to determine how they divvy up defensive play calling duties for the 2023 season. However, Beane notes that McDermott will take the lead on that process.
"It's still very early in the offseason. It's not on the offensive side of the ball, it's on the defense," Beane said. "We feel we've got some really good minds in that room with Bobby Babich, we added Al Holcomb, John Butler, Eric Washington, we just added Joe Danna. So I feel like we've got some really good minds in there. Adding Sean in there, as well, I'm sure he'll be even more hands-on at this point."
Another possibility heading into the next season could be McDermott assuming play calling duties on top of his daily duties as head coach of the team. If that happens to be the case until Frazier returns, Beane has all the confidence in his head coach to handle both obligations.
"I've seen him do it for a long time with great success," he said. "He's gone against some great quarterbacks in his day and offensive gurus that you have to beat. That would be great if that's the route he feels is best for us. I'm going to support that, and full faith that he would do a great job, if it came to that."
Before Frazier's coaching career began, he played five seasons in the league as part of the Chicago Bears organization after being undrafted in 1981. The former cornerback was part of the team that ended up winning Super Bowl XX in 1985, but his career was cut short due to a knee injury he suffered in that game.
Frazier began his coaching career as a head coach at Trinity International University, where he served in that role for nine seasons. He eventually made the jump to the NFL in 1999 as a defensive backs coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2010, Frazier would get his first head coaching shot in the NFL when he was named the interim coach of the Minnesota Vikings. After some success in his interim role, Frazier was eventually named the full-time head coach starting with the 2011 season, where he served in that capacity for three seasons.