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Green Bay Packers: Jim Leonhard Reportedly Turns Down DC Job

By Paul Bretl

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 07: Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Big Ten Football Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 34-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 07: Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Big Ten Football Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 34-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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On Friday evening, Tom Silverstein of Packers News reported that Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers had narrowed the search for the next defensive coordinator down to just two candidates—Jim Leonhard and Ejiro Evero.

Leonhard was the fan favorite for the opening as well as the favorite among many of Silverstein’s sources. With some suggesting that Leonhard had even been offered the job.

"“Leonhard, in the minds of numerous sources with interest in the search, is the frontrunner and may have been offered the job.”"

However, while the fit seemed ideal, Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal just reported that Leonhard had withdrawn his name from consideration. This isn’t the first defensive coordinator position that Leonhard has turned down to stay at Wisconsin, in 2018 he had an offer with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams but remained with the Badgers.

A number of factors likely came into play for Leonhard when making this decision. As Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Leonhard keeping his family in Madison was a determining factor, as well as his love for the Wisconsin football program. Leonhard later confirmed that with Oates:

"“It was me choosing UW. I want to stay at UW,” said Leonhard. I want to be at this level right now. Extremely flattered. Awesome opportunity. But it was not the right time for me to go back to the NFL.”"

Leonhard is also compensated well, making $1.1 million as defensive coordinator of the Badgers, and there has been some speculation that he is next in line to take over the head coaching position from Paul Chryst.

During his tenure with Wisconsin, the Badgers have ranked in the top-10 in the nation in both points per game allowed and yards per game allowed in three of his four seasons as defensive play-caller.

With Leonhard no longer in the mix, the logical conclusion is the. Ejiro Evero will be the next defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

Evero has been the safeties coach for the Los Angeles Rams the last four seasons and was a part of Brandon Staley’s staff that had the NFL’s top-scoring defense in 2020. Under Staley, the Rams ran a very similar style of defense to that of Vic Fangio, the current Denver Broncos head coach and former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator.

It is this system — or a similar version of it — that the Packers will likely run in 2021 if Evero does in fact get the position.

There has been no official announcement by the Green Bay Packers on these matters, but by simply putting the pieces together, this is the logical conclusion. There will be more to come as this story develops.

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