Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The main pillars of head coach Joe Brady's coaching staff with the Buffalo Bills have been put in place.
After announcing the hiring of Pete Carmichael Jr. as the new offensive coordinator, the Bills have also announced the hiring of two other coordinators to Brady's staff: Jim Leonhard as the defensive coordinator and Jeff Rodgers as the special teams coordinator.
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Leonhard played for the Bills from 2005-to-2007, when he made the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Wisconsin.
He went on to have a 10-year NFL career, playing for the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns, and even a return to the Bills in 2013.
In Baltimore and New York, Leonhard played for Rex Ryan from 2008 through 2011, when he was the defensive coordinator of the Ravens and then head coach of the Jets.
After his playing career, Leonhard began coaching at his alma mater of Wisconsin in 2013, starting off as the defensive backs coach before moving up to defensive coordinator, and eventually the interim head coach in 2022.
The 43-year-old then spent one year as a senior football analyst at Illinois before making the jump to the NFL, where he's worked for the Denver Broncos over the last two seasons.
For the Broncos, Leonard served as the defensive back coach and defensive pass game coordinator in 2024, then was given the added title of assistant head coach this past season.
"Jim’s vision for what he wants from our defense and the personality they play with is the exact style of what I was looking for from a defensive coordinator," said Brady on Saturday in a team statement. "You could tell how smart and versatile his secondary was when we watched them on tape. He is super intelligent, a great communicator, and highly regarded in this league. He started out as a rookie free agent with the Bills and ended up playing 10 years in the NFL. That same perseverance and mindset have carried over into his coaching career. We couldn’t be happier to get him back to Buffalo."
As for Rodgers, he joins the Bills after spending the last eight seasons with the Arizona Cardinals as their special teams coordinator. He also served as the Cardinals' assistant head coach over the last seven seasons.
Over his 25 years coaching at both the college and professional ranks, Rodgers has served primarily as a special teams coach, with tenures as special teams coordinators with Kansas State University, the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and the Cardinals.
"Jeff is one of the most respected and successful special teams coaches in our league. He is wired the right way and his special teams units over the years have matched the detail and personality I was looking for," Brady said in a team statement. "They are always well-prepared and tough to play against. He is known for his high energy and excellent communication skills."