Denver Broncos Nightmare Deepens as Key Coach Jumps Ship to Rival Team Amid Intense Bo Nix-Sean Payton Feud

Another major setback hits the struggling Broncos.

The Denver Broncos face more problems. The team will lose assistant head coach Jim Leonhard to the Buffalo Bills. His exit puts more pressure on head coach Sean Payton. It also comes at a bad time for a franchise already dealing with drama.

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Denver has had a tough few days. The Broncos lost the AFC Championship game to the New England Patriots, ending their Super Bowl hopes. Soon after that, the team fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Then quarterback Bo Nix publicly criticized Payton over comments about his injury history.

Now the coaching staff is losing another important member.

Leonhard is expected to become the Bills’ defensive coordinator. In Denver, he served as assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator. The 43-year-old played safety in the NFL for 10 years. He joined the Broncos in 2024 as defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator, then earned a promotion before the 2025 season.

New Bills head coach Joe Brady made this signing. Buffalo fired Sean McDermott after its playoff loss to Denver. Brady has begun rebuilding his coaching staff, and Leonhard was among his main choices.

Payton must now find a replacement while the team deals with internal tension. Leonhard’s departure adds even more pressure.

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Jim Leonhard (Photo By Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
The playoff game against Buffalo ended with more than a win for Denver. It also left Nix with a serious ankle injury. He broke his ankle late in the game. Doctors ruled him out for the rest of the postseason. However, he later required surgery.

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Payton spoke publicly about the injury. He said Nix had a history of ankle problems. He suggested another injury felt almost certain.“It was not a matter of if, it was a matter of when,” Payton told reporters.

Nix did not like those comments. He quickly pushed back.

“I don’t think he really should share how many surgeries I’ve had in the past, to be honest with you,” Nix said, according to ESPN. “He doesn’t even really know that.”

Nix also disputed Payton’s claim about a prior condition. He explained what happened during the play.

“Nothing predisposed, nothing that was there originally,” Nix said. “That might have gotten confused. It was just a simple step with my foot up in the air. My body weight came down on it and sort of got twisted up.”

The young quarterback insisted the injury was due to bad luck. He described it as a routine football play.

“It could have been a worse landing, but I think all that force went into the only place it could,” Nix said.

The public disagreement raised eyebrows around the league. Now Leonhard’s departure gives Payton one more issue to manage. The Broncos enter the offseason with questions on and off the field.