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Jeff Legwold
INDIANAPOLIS — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t have to look far for one of the newest additions to the team’s coaching staff.
Payton has hired Colorado Buffaloes defensive coordinator Robert Livingston as the Broncos’ defensive passing-game coordinator, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday. Livingston, who replaces Jim Leonhard, will also be the team’s primary defensive backs coach.
Leonhard was hired earlier this month as the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator.
Livingston was a Cincinnati Bengals scout and then a special teams assistant when current Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was the Bengals’ defensive backs coach in 2014 and 2015.
In all, Livingston was with the Bengals for 12 seasons before he was hired by Deion Sanders in 2024 to direct Colorado’s defense. A source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Colorado linebackers coach Chris Marve will replace Livingston as Sanders’ defensive coordinator.
Leonhard was one of two Broncos assistant coaches who joined Joe Brady’s staff with the Bills as Pete Carmichael was hired to be the Bills’ offensive coordinator as well. Payton had also promoted Davis Webb to offensive coordinator earlier this offseason to replace Joe Lombardi, and Ronald Curry was hired as the wide receivers coach to replace Keary Colbert.
Doug Belk has been hired as the Broncos’ defensive backs assistant to replace Addison Lynch.
Lombardi, Colbert and Lynch were fired two days after the Broncos’ 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Payton said at the combine Tuesday he was nearly finished finalizing the hirings for his staff.
«We’re close to filling out our staff … I would say within the week,» Payton said in Indianapolis.
Colorado’s defense went from 121st in scoring defense in 2023 — Sanders’ first season in Boulder — to 43rd in 2024, Livingston’s first with the Buffaloes. The 2025 defense took a step back after the departure of several starters to the NFL, including Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Shilo Sanders.
The Broncos led the league in sacks this past season — for the second consecutive year — and were the league’s No. 3 scoring defense and No. 4 in lowest QBR (48.6). The team’s 14 takeaways, however, were tied for 26th in the league as the Broncos finished minus-3 in turnover margin for the season.
Payton, given the Broncos won 11 one-score games in a 14-3 regular season, has made takeaways an offseason priority.
«From my lens, we won a lot of games by one score or less. I’m not naive enough to think those games couldn’t have swung,» Payton said Tuesday. «And you could grab any two or three, but where’s the meat on the bone? The meat on the bone exists with our takeaways. That has to improve.»
