Broncos get a big offseason W by keeping Leonhard

Jim Leonhard was a big get for the Denver Broncos on their coaching staff last year, and he’ll stick with the team in 2025 despite interest from at least three other clubs.

Per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Leonhard, the Broncos’ defensive-pass-game coordinator, spurned interest from others to sign on and remain in his position.

Leonhard was bound to draw interest for coordinator jobs based not only on his work with the Broncos, but the six seasons he spent with the University of Wisconsin as its defensive coordinator — including a partial campaign as interim head coach in 2022.

In six seasons guiding the Badgers defense, he guided top-5 defenses in FBS five times — including a No. 1 ranking in 2021.

That experience — as well as 10 years as a player, including one with the Broncos in 2012 — put Leonhard on NFL radars long before he came to Denver. It would have made Leonhard an obvious candidate to move into the defensive-coordinator position for the Broncos had Vance Joseph’s interviews with other teams for their head-coaching positions turned into an actual job offer.

But Joseph didn’t get an open position, which leads him back to the Broncos for 2025. Status quo on the staff was enough to keep Leonhard around for at least one more season.

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That will likely meet with approval in the Broncos’ defensive-backs room — particularly with the safeties, as he works closely with that personnel group.

“I love Coach Leonhard,” safety JL Skinner said. “It’s like it’s a different type of coaching with him because he’s done it himself at the highest level. So, he’s able to tell you things, how he saw and explain it to you kind of … [in] what a player-type of mindset would be. So, it’s a lot easier at times to understand him.

“And I just love Coach Leonhard because of how close he is with us, man. He’s not really like an older — like a guy that’s not been out of the game for so long. He just got done playing.

“So, I love Coach Leonhard. I love everything about him, man. He’s a big part of why the DB group grew, for sure, in all aspects.”

And now he will have a chance to build on that work.

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