The NFL coaching carousel is spinning fast this week, and two teams at the center of the action are the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills - with some intriguing crossover between the two.
Let’s start in Buffalo, where the Bills are retooling their staff after falling short in the playoffs - a loss that came at the hands of the very team they’re now pulling talent from. In a bold move, the Bills have tapped into Sean Payton’s coaching tree in Denver, poaching not one but two key assistants.
First up is Pete Carmichael, a longtime right-hand man to Payton during their days in New Orleans. Buffalo has brought him in to run the offense as their new coordinator. Carmichael’s experience with Payton’s system and quarterback development makes him a logical fit for a Bills team that’s looking to keep their offense sharp and consistent.
Then came the second blow to Denver’s staff: defensive assistant Jim Leonhard is also heading to Buffalo, this time to take over as defensive coordinator. That one stings a little more for the Broncos, who had hoped to keep Leonhard in-house.
He’s a rising star in the coaching ranks - a former NFL safety who played 10 seasons, beginning his career in Buffalo after going undrafted out of Wisconsin in 2005. His football IQ and leadership have made him a fast climber on the coaching side, and Denver clearly saw him as a key piece for the future.
The Broncos, for now, still have Vance Joseph holding down the defensive coordinator role, and Davis Webb remains on staff as quarterbacks coach. Webb, by all accounts, is the frontrunner to step into the offensive coordinator role - a move that would keep some continuity in the building after Carmichael’s departure.
But here’s where things get even more interesting: there were reports that Sean Payton had his eye on Joe Brady to take over as offensive coordinator in Denver, possibly even handing him play-calling duties. That plan was scrapped when the Bills promoted Brady to head coach - a move that may have been the catalyst for this entire sequence. With Brady now steering the ship in Buffalo, he’s wasting no time bringing in familiar faces and trusted minds, including two from Payton’s own staff.
For Denver, this is a moment of adjustment. The coaching staff is being reshaped not necessarily by choice, but by circumstance.
The loss of Leonhard, in particular, forces the Broncos to rethink their defensive pipeline. Had Vance Joseph landed a head coaching job this cycle - something that now seems unlikely - Leonhard was viewed as the natural successor.
Even with Joseph staying, Denver wanted to keep Leonhard around to continue grooming him within their system.
Instead, he’s heading back to where it all started - Buffalo - but this time as a key architect of their defense.
The Broncos aren’t in crisis mode, but they are in pivot mode. With Webb likely stepping into a bigger role and Joseph staying put (for now), there’s still a foundation in place.
But as the coaching carousel keeps turning, Denver’s front office will need to stay nimble. The AFC is too competitive to fall behind - on the field or on the sidelines.