Getty Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier of the Buffalo Bills looks on before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Leslie Frazier announced this week that he’s taking a one-year sabbatical from football, and one insider believes that when he returns it won’t be with the Buffalo Bills.
The team announced on February 28 that their defensive coordinator was stepping away from the team and would be taking a year off before returning to coaching in 2024. But the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted that the Bills were careful not to say Frazier would be coming back to Buffalo.
“‘Taking a year off’ is the official term for Leslie Frazier,” Rapoport said. “The release from the Buffalo Bills said he does plan to return to coaching in 2024, but it doesn’t specify that he’s going to return to the Bills in 2024, which makes sense to think about the Bills, now they obviously have a huge hole in their coaching staff. Sean McDermott essentially does the defense, but Leslie Frazier is a major, major part of one of the best units in the NFL.”
Rapoport added that he believes Frazier’s days with the Bills have come to an end.
“Would Frazier come back and then be the defensive coordinator in 2024 after they replace him?” he said. “It seems unlikely.”
From NFL Now: #Bills respected DC Leslie Frazier is stepping away and it’s not clear that he’ll be back in Buffalo in 2024. “Just taking a break,” he texted me.
Bills Speak Out on Leslie Frazier’s Departure
Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke to reporters about Frazier’s departure from the team, hinting that he needed a break but not shedding any new light on the reason he decided to step away for a year.
“It’s tough. It’s a hard business as we know,” Beane said, via ESPN. “There’s a lot of scrutiny on it, and there’s a lot of hours, a lot of time put in and, and, again, not speaking for Leslie, but sometimes you may just want to take a breath for a minute. Again, that would be for him to say, but he was very adamant that he’s not gonna retire. My two cents, just wanted to take a step back this season.”
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has decided to take a year off from coaching in 2023.
He plans to return to coaching in 2024: t.co/xdP9ztLb23
Frazier played a major role in the team’s turnaround, coming on as defensive coordinator when McDermott was hired as head coach in 2017. Frazier helped the team break their 17-year playoff drought in his first season and then turned them into a Super Bowl contender after Josh Allen was drafted the next year. As the team noted, the Bills have allowed an average of 20 points per game since 2017 (ranked No. 3 in the NFL during that span) and just 315 total yards per game (No. 1).
Bills Could Have Replacement Ready
While Frazier’s long-term future could be in doubt, some insiders believe the Bills already have a plan for their defense in the immediate future. The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia believes the Bills have hinted that McDermott will take over in calling defensive plays.
“Reading between the lines of everything said by Beane and McDermott on Tuesday, it seems like the Bills are leaning toward McDermott pulling double duty as the head coach and defensive play caller — at least initially,” Buscaglia wrote.
There do not appear to be any immediate plans to bring in a new defensive coordinator, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg noted. She pointed out that the Bills did not have any interviews scheduled with new candidates at the time of Frazier’s announcement.