The Buffalo Bills revealed their new coordinators on Thursday at One Bills Drive, aiming to strengthen their squad for the 2026 season. Jim Leonhard was named defensive coordinator, Pete Carmichael Jr. took over as offensive coordinator, and Jeff Rodgers was appointed special teams coordinator, all bringing varied experiences to the franchise’s coaching staff.
Jim Leonhard Returns to Familiar Grounds with Aggressive Defensive Plans
Jim Leonhard, the Bills’ new defensive coordinator, is no stranger to the team or its passionate fan base, known as Bills Mafia. He originally played with Buffalo from 2005 to 2007 and briefly returned in 2013. More recently, Leonhard served as the Denver Broncos‘ assistant head coach and pass game coordinator last season, where he helped lead one of the league’s top defenses.
He described the defense he plans to build in Buffalo as relentless and assertive.
“We’re going to be an attacking defense up front, in the back end, we’re going to attack the football.”
— Jim Leonhard, Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator
Leonhard emphasized the importance of creating turnovers and exerting constant pressure on opposing offenses.
“We are going to be an attacking defense on the back end we are going to attack the football the number one stat for defense in football is turnovers. We are going to be aggressive we are going to fly around we are going to communicate we are going to play well together. It is team defense but we are going to cause issues for offense and force them to react to us,”
he said.
Offensive Leadership and Special Teams Expertise Join the Bills’ Coaching Staff
Joining Leonhard is Pete Carmichael Jr., the new offensive coordinator who has a history working alongside Sean Payton. Carmichael recently served as a senior offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos, marking him as the second former Broncos staffer to become part of Josh Brady’s coaching team after Leonhard’s hiring.
Carmichael recounted his time speaking at LSU with Joe Brady and a personnel scout, highlighting Brady’s commanding presence.
“He said it was clear Brady was a rock star and they seemed like the second act to what Brady had to say.”
— Pete Carmichael Jr., Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator
Jeff Rodgers, the special teams coordinator, brings 22 NFL seasons of experience, having coached with several teams including the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers. Rodgers replaces Chris Tabor, who departed Buffalo after one season to take the same role with the Miami Dolphins.
On his priorities for the special teams unit, Rodgers stated,
“Ball security. Penalty free. Good tackling.”
— Jeff Rodgers, Buffalo Bills Special Teams Coordinator
New Coordinators Poised to Influence Bills’ Outlook After Recent Playoff Heartbreak
The Bills’ 2025 season ended with a close 33-30 overtime loss to the Broncos in the divisional playoff round. While Brady has previous ties with Carmichael from their time in New Orleans, Leonhard is a fresh addition without known prior connections to the coaching staff. Their combined expertise is expected to forge a more aggressive, dynamic team across all phases of the game.
The new hires reflect Buffalo’s strategic push to improve on both sides of the ball and special teams, hoping to prevent repetition of recent narrow defeats. The emphasis on communication, teamwork, and attacking play outlined by Leonhard and Rodgers underscores the organization’s determination to build a unit that challenges every opponent in 2026 and beyond.
"We're going to be an attacking defense up front, in the back end, we're going to attack the football."#Bills DC Jim Leonhard on his defensive philosophy.#BillsMafia
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) February 5, 2026
#Bills OC Pete Carmichael shares a story about when he was asked to speak at LSU and brought Joe Brady and a pro personnel manwith him when they were in New Orleans.
He said it was clear Brady was a rock star and they seemed like the second act to what Brady had to say.
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) February 5, 2026
#Bills special teams coordinator on key standards he wanst to instill:
Ball security. Penalty free. Good tackling. #BillsMafia
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) February 5, 2026
