NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday that the Green Bay Packers have begun preliminary research on potential defensive coordinator candidates. It’s a sign they’re preparing for the possibility of Jeff Hafley landing a head coaching job elsewhere.
Hafley has emerged as the leading candidate for the Miami Dolphins’ head coaching vacancy and has also interviewed with the Tennessee Titans. With momentum building around Miami, league sources increasingly believe Hafley has likely coached his final down in Green Bay,
If Green Bay were forced to pivot, Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator Christian Parker could emerge as a name to watch should the Packers need to search for a new defensive coordinator. Jonathan Gannon and Raheem Morris would also profile as logical options given their experience. Still, there is one candidate in particular who would instantly resonate with Wisconsin fans if the Packers hire him to become the next defensive architect in Titletown.
A Wisconsin native, Leonhard played college football for the Badgers before the Buffalo Bills drafted him in 2005. He remained in the NFL through the 2014 season. He began his coaching career at Wisconsin as the defensive backs coach in 2017, later taking over as defensive coordinator, a position he held through 2022. He also served as the Badgers’ interim head coach during the 2022 season.
Leonhard spent a year as a senior analyst at Illinois before returning to the NFL in 2024 with the Denver Broncos as the defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Denver promoted him in 2025, adding assistant head coach responsibilities while continuing to oversee the pass game.
Sure, Leonhard has not held a defensive coordinator role during his relatively short time in the NFL. Still, Denver’s passing defense has emerged as a top-three unit since 2024 in dropback EPA per play allowed. Moreover, Patrick Surtain II won Defensive Player of the Year in his first season under Leonhard’s coaching — notable, positive achievements in such a short time span.
“He has a lot of, obviously, football intellect,” Surtain said about Leonhard earlier this year. “He has a lot of experience in the league, playing at a high level. And having that foundation in the room sets us up for a lot of success.”
The primary schematic difference between Jeff Hafley and Jim Leonhard would come down to man versus zone usage. Green Bay leaned heavily on zone coverage under Hafley, playing zone on 78.4% of its defensive snaps in 2025, the seventh-highest rate in the league. By contrast, Leonhard’s defenses have typically featured a higher rate of man coverage. There’s a common ground, however. Hafley and Leonhard rely heavily on Cover 3 as a foundational call, using it to disguise intentions and spin safeties late.
Leonhard’s defenses frequently use simulated pressures to stress protections without sending extra rushers. With a healthy Micah Parsons, that approach would allow him to rush four, play match coverages on the back end, and still create pressure. The disguise alone can force one-on-one situations up front, giving Parsons cleaner paths to the quarterback rather than constant chip or double-team blocks.
Leonhard’s defenses are also proactive, not reactive. He designs them to dictate protections, force early decisions from quarterbacks, and attack offenses schematically rather than sit back and wait for mistakes. The Packers desperately need that because too often they simply sit in zone and play the old “rally and tackle” game, allowing quarterbacks to complete easy passes and stay ahead of the chains.
Perhaps most importantly, Leonhard emphasizes communication and ensuring his players are on the same page. That’s the same trait that earned Hafley so much respect inside the Packers organization and among the beat writers who covered his press conferences.
“Coaching is teaching,” Leonhard said in late December. “The best teachers are efficient with their words. I put a lot of thought into making complex concepts as simple as possible. The more players have to think, the slower they play — make it simple, efficient, and fun so guys can play fast.”
Considering how efficient Denver’s passing defense has been under Leonhard, it’s almost certain he’ll draw attention from other franchises. That means the Packers would need to be ready to spend to keep him — or to lure him away.
Fortunately, coach salaries don’t count against the salary cap. Still, the real question isn’t money. It’s whether Green Bay believes Leonhard can build and coach a Super Bowl-caliber defense in the NFL’s most demanding environment.
