The Green Bay Packers have interviewed four different candidates to fill the void at defensive coordinator following Jeff Hafley’s departure. While more interviews are coming next week, there is reportedly mutual interest between Green Bay and one of its top targets.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, there’s “mutual interest” between the Packers and Denver Broncos pass game coordinator/assistant head coach Jim Leonhard. An interview hasn’t been scheduled, but the club would have clearance to meet with him after the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
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Leonhard has previously been pursued by Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Green Bay made a real push for him in 2021, only to be turned down. That is because Leonhard thought he would be the full-time Wisconsin Badgers head coach, but he was replaced by Luke Fickell months later.
Prior to that, the Wisconsin alum emerged as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football. From 2017 to 2022, he oversaw one of the most consistent and effective defenses in the nation. After the fallout with the program, he spent a year as a senior analyst for Illinois before joining Sean Payton staff in Denver.
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| PPG | Total YPG | 3rd Down % | Yards per Play | |
| 2017 | 13.9 (2nd) | 262.1 (2nd in FBS) | 29.1% (4th) | 4.2 (3rd in FBS) |
| 2018 | 22.6 (27th) | 344.2 (24th) | 37.43% (48th) | 5.4 (50th) |
| 2019 | 16.9 (8th) | 288.6 (4th) | 27.27% (1st) | 4.6 (6th) |
| 2020 | 17.4 (9th) | 299.9 (4th) | 28.74% (5th) | 4.9 (19th) |
| 2021 | 16.2 (3rd) | 239.7 (1st) | 29.34% (2nd) | 4.0 (1st) |
| 2022 | 21.9 (24th) | 308.6 (9th) | 32.54% (15th) | 4.6 (11th) |
Leonhard, age 43, was hired as the Broncos defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024. He has overseen one of the league’s best secondaries for the last two seasons, learning from both Payton and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
With Green Bay having lost out on hiring Christian Parker, the highly-regarded defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles who is now the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, Leonhard could be the next target. Entering the weekend, LaFleur had interviewed Parker, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, and Chicago Bears pass game coordinator Al Harris.
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