Bills Week in Review: February 2

Building a Championship Foundation: Bills Navigate Sweeping Changes in Week of Transition

The Bills' offseason officially kicked into high gear this week as the organization began reshaping its identity on multiple fronts. From a defensive philosophy overhaul to historic radio broadcast changes, Buffalo signaled its commitment to evolving with the modern NFL landscape while maintaining its championship aspirations.

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Jim Leonhard Returns to Buffalo as Defensive Coordinator

The Bills are bringing back one of their own to run the defense. Buffalo announced Saturday that it has hired Broncos defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator. The move represents far more than nostalgia—it's a strategic pivot toward an aggressive defensive system that new head coach Joe Brady has been eager to implement.

One of the staples of Denver's defense is sending five or more pass rushers at the opposing team's quarterback. "Let's create a defense that the NFL doesn't want to play against." Leonhard's attacking philosophy aligns perfectly with Brady's vision, as This year, the Broncos' defense put up 68 sacks, four short of tying the single-season record (72, 1984 Bears), and allowed the second-fewest yards per game (278.2).

The 43-year-old coordinator brings a unique combination of NFL playing experience in Buffalo and recent success developing one of the league's most dominant units. While there will be changes made as to how the defense operates, Leonhard emphasized that the current version of the Bills are well-equipped to handle the switch. "I am big on flexibility and being able to play to your best players and force offenses to try to find your issues and to have to deal with their own problems, not always being reactive."

Dalton Kincaid Earns First Pro Bowl Selection

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has been named to the 2026 Pro Bowl. Kincaid will replace Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. This marks Kincaid's first Pro Bowl appearance. The honor serves as validation for the third-year player's breakout season, particularly impressive considering Bills tight end Dawson Knox shared on Bills offensive lineman Mitch Morse's Monday Mornings with Mitch podcast last week. "Dalton has a torn PCL he was playing through."

In his third season, Kincaid had 39 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns. In Buffalo's two playoff games, Kincaid had nine catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. When targeted in 2025, Kincaid offered a 149.2 passer rating, which was the highest among tight ends. He also led tight ends this year averaging 14.6 yards per catch.

Bills Transform Radio Broadcasting Model

The Buffalo Bills announced today that the team will produce and distribute radio broadcasts for preseason, regular season and playoff games starting in 2026. With this transition to in-house production and distribution, the Bills and WGR will conclude their 14-year broadcast partnership. The historic shift reflects the organization's commitment to modernizing its fan engagement approach.

According to the Bills' news release, in-house distribution will enable the team to expand their network of affiliates across New York State, Southern Ontario and additional regions throughout the country. The Bills will work with Good Karma Brands to build out their content distribution plan.

Quick Hits

• Terrance Jamison joins as defensive line coach from the University of Illinois, adding to Jim Leonhard's defensive staff restructure • Former defensive coordinator Bobby Babich departs for Green Bay Packers as secondary coach, officially closing the McDermott era • Bo Hardegree hired as quarterbacks coach after two seasons with Tennessee Titans, strengthening Joe Brady's offensive infrastructure

Roster Watch

Joe Brady retained five offensive coaches including Kelly Skipper, Rob Boras, and Austin Gund, providing crucial continuity as the team transitions to new leadership. One Bills Live co-hosts Chris Brown and Steve Tasker will remain in their current roles. Daily podcast versions of each One Bills Live episode will be posted to the Bills App, BuffaloBills.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The coaching staff overhaul continues as Leonhard builds his defensive structure. As such, Buffalo will have separate inside linebackers and outside linebackers coaches in 2026. This specialization reflects the complexity of the new 3-4 system the team will implement.

Looking Ahead

Next week will likely bring additional coaching announcements as Leonhard completes his defensive staff. The defensive coordinator's emphasis on While Leonhard is just getting started on breaking down film of each current Bills player on defense, he's already eyeing players to start building his scheme around, one of which includes top cornerback Christian Benford. During his press conference, Leonhard repeatedly mentioned building his scheme around "known commodities" already on the roster. suggests fans can expect strategic alignment between personnel and system.

The radio broadcasting transition begins Monday, February 9, marking the first major operational change under the new regime. As free agency approaches, all eyes will be on how these philosophical and structural changes translate into roster construction and, ultimately, on-field success in Buffalo's continued quest for its first Super Bowl title.