Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator Stepping Away for 2023 Season

The Buffalo Bills will be without one of their veteran coaches for the 2023 season. The team announced via Buffalo Bills PR that defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is taking a year off from coaching and intends to return for the 2024 season.

Bills coaching staff updates ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/qcIEXyggPE
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) February 28, 2023

Frazier, 63, has been with the Bills since 2017. He joined the team along with head coach Sean McDermott. The pair have built one of the NFL's most consistently excellent defenses, ranking in the top six for yards allowed in four of six seasons and the top two in points allowed three times. Frazier also has five more top-10 defenses on his resume from his tenures with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings.

Frazier's formalized time off is unusual, but taking a year away from coaching has become increasingly common. Current Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton took a year away from the game before joining the organization this season. Same for Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in 2020. Ditto Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson in 2021.

Frazier's defenses have been spectacular with the Bills, but given that McDermott is a defensive-minded coach himself, the team will likely be fine in 2023 barring personnel issues. It remains to be seen if the team will name an interim defensive coordinator.