My Dolphins fandom is tingling with joy.
Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will be taking the 2023 season off, according to a Tuesday announcement from the team.
At the NFL combine, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said that Frazier contacted him to let him know that he wanted to take a year-long sabbatical, but Frazier also made it clear that he wasn’t retiring and planned to return to coaching in 2024.
Despite those plans, however, Beane said that he wasn’t sure if Frazier would be coming back to Buffalo.
As far as who will fill that role for the Bills, head coach Sean McDermott could potentially take over the defensive play calling. Buffalo is still exploring their options and currently don’t have any interviews set up with any possible candidates.
Frazier has been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills since 2017 when McDermott hired him, and during those six years, Buffalo’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL. In the six years since Frazier started, the Bills have been No. 1 in the league in yards allowed with just 315 per game, and are also No. 2 in takeaways with a total of 158.
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has decided to take a year off from coaching in 2023.
He plans to return to coaching in 2024: https://t.co/xdP9ztLb23 pic.twitter.com/Rf6Sptsacf
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) February 28, 2023
First off, I just want to say that I hope everything is good with Leslie Frazier and his family — coaches don’t just quit like this in the middle of combine week. So I just want to say that before I sound like a total asshole.
But shit, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see all of this dysfunction from the Buffalo Bills. They are, after all, one of the main rivals (if not the main rival) of my Miami Dolphins. The Bills have had to make several coaching changes already this season, and now here we go again. This is a big one. A huge blow. (RELATED: REPORT: Tom Brady Reportedly Attempting To Launch Stand-Up Comedy Career, Win Gisele Bündchen Back)
And as a Dolphins fan, I’m smiling as the dream of a 2023 AFC East championship starts looking just a little more achievable.