As great as Josh Allen and the scoring attack is, the Buffalo Bills have had a top-five defense in both yards and points allowed in three of the past four seasons. In 2021, it was the top-ranked unit in both areas. But now defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has announced his decision to step down from leading one of the league’s best defenses.
As you can imagine, it comes as a shock for a team that annually has the franchise’s first Super Bowl in its sights. We often hear teams preaching consistency, and Frazier has been the team’s coordinator every year since Sean McDermott became head coach in 2017.
Buffalo’s ability to limit nearly any opponent they face defensively has certainly been a big part of their recent success, but now they will have to see if another play-caller can maintain their efficient ways.
While a lot of defensive pieces remain in place, including Von Miller, the Bills have several free agents to address this offseason. This list includes key Pro Bowlers Tremaine Edmunds and Jordan Poyer, longtime fixtures of the Bills Mafia.
There has been no announcement on who the Bills plan to install as the team’s defensive coordinator but longtime NFL coach Al Holcomb was recently hired as a senior defensive assistant, and he spent last season coordinating the Panthers’ D and has worked under coach McDermott in his Carolina.
As for Frazier’s plans, he’s expected to take all of 2023 off, and there’s speculation that he’s expected to just return to his post with Buffalo in 2024, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says that’s not guaranteed. Frazier did reach out to the NFL insider via text and noted he’s “just taking a break.”
This is far from the first time a coach has needed some additional time off from the everyday stress involved with coaching, but Frazier’s been in this business for several years. In fact, he’s spent a total of 17 seasons as either an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach. Frazier is 63 years old and will turn 64 in April. We’ll see what his future holds.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings: Offseason outlook for all 32 teams, key free agents