Brandin Cooks didn't catch it. That's the message former Denver Broncos defensive coach and new Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is sending, at the very least.
Leonhard was one of the most coveted assistant coaches on the Denver Broncos' staff, and he ended up taking a job on Joe Brady's new look staff with the Buffalo Bills after that organization decided to shake things up thanks to their playoff loss in Denver this past season.
When being introduced to his new fan base, Leonhard was asked about the now-infamous Ja'Quan McMillian interception that many Bills fans insist was a Brandin Cooks catch. And for now, Leonhard's blood is clearly still running orange and blue.
Jim Leonhard says Broncos CB Ja'Quan McMillian did, in fact, pick off that one pass
"It wasn't a catch. We, Denver, caught it... It's still the 2025 season... ask me in a week and I'll have a different answer for you."
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) February 5, 2026
-Bills new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.#BillsMafia @BuffaloPlus
This is absolutely fantastic from Jim Leonhard. Knowing that every Buffalo Bills fan is going to hear him say this, literally working for the team that was just absolutely devastated and heartbroken to the point of making wholesale changes based largely on this play, he still gives that answer.
You have to respect it.
Leonhard spent just two seasons with Denver (as a coach), but it clearly had an impact on him. And Ja'Quan McMillian is still his guy.
Keep in mind, Leonhard was both the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator with the Broncos, so he spent every day coaching up players like McMillian and the rest of that Denver defensive backfield. Those bonds are not so easily broken, even when you take a job with another team.
And frankly, Leonhard is right.
It wasn't a catch by Brandin Cooks, and it was an interception for Ja'Quan McMillian. NFL rules experts have come out and weighed in on it. This is a resolved issue. But the fact is, it's not a resolved issue for Bills fans, who are adamant that it wasn't an interception. And you can empathize with them, at the very least.
This was supposed to be the year for Josh Allen. No Patrick Mahomes standing in his way, and Bills fans thought it would be relatively easy to come into Denver and beat Bo Nix. The lack of respect for how good the Broncos were all season was abundantly clear in the pre-game chatter both from Bills fans as well as the national media.
So, it stands to reason that they would need some sort of moment to pinpoint as the reason for the loss, and that was a crucial one. But for now, even with a new job in Buffalo, Jim Leonhard is still telling it like it is.