What happened to Leslie Frazier? Bills DC decides to take year off from coaching

Leslie Frazier has served as the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills since the 2017 NFL season. During his time in the position, he has helped them become one of the most consistently dominant defenses in the NFL. He has been an important piece of their recent success under head coach Sean McDermott.

In a bit of shocking news during the 2023 NFL offseason, Leslie Frazier recently announced that he will be stepping away from coaching for the upcoming season. The exact reason for his break has yet to be officially announced, but apparently he plans to return to coaching for the 2024 season after just a year away. Whether that's with the Bills or someone else is yet to be determined.

The Bills have featured in one of the best overall defenses over the last six years since Leslie Frazier became their defensive coordinator. During that span, they have allowed the fewest points per game and third-fewest yards per game to opposing offenses. They also led the entire NFL in passing yards allowed and passing touchdowns surrendered, while ranking second in interceptions and total takeaways.

This is a massive loss for the Bills ahead of the 2023 season. It's unclear at this point who will replace him, but whoever it is, they will have big shoes to fill.

One potential option is Al Holcomb, who they recently hired as a senior defensive assistant. Holcomb spent last year as interim defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, so he has some experience calling defenses.

Leslie Frazier could be looking to become a head coach

Leslie Frazier's massive success as the signal-caller for the Bills' defense has made him a legitimate candidate during the last few head coaching cycles. He is yet to land a new position, but has been involved in many interviews and drawn interest from several NFL teams during the last few offseasons.

While most of his coaching experience comes as a defensive coach in some form, he also has previous experience as a head coach. He served in the position for the Minnesota Vikings for three years (2011-2013). He put together a 21-33-1 overall record, while helping them make an appearance in the NFL playoffs.

Leslie Frazier may be considered to become head coach again in the future, but that doesn't appear to be the case for the 2023 season. All of the head coach openings are currently filled, which could potentially factor into his decision to take a year off. It's possible he's looking to take the next step forward, but may feel he needs to take a new approach after being passed on again.

If his goal is to eventually become head coach again, rather than a defensive coordinator, he may be preparing to do so while he is away. He could possibly even be considering a potential college football head coaching position, though his intentions have yet to be officially confirmed.