Does Leslie Frazier's latest venture hint he won’t return to Bills in 2024?

The NFL released a memo on Wednesday listing the 40 participants of the league’s 2023 coach accelerator program May 21-23.

Leslie Frazier’s name was included in the memo, however, he was one of three head-coaching hopefuls (along with Pep Hamilton and Kris Richard) to not have a team affiliation next to his name.

Frazier, who’s been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills since 2017, recently stepped away from coaching for the 2023 season. In a press release, the Bills stated Frazier planned to return to coaching in 2024 but did not specify if it would be in Buffalo.

Frazier’s omission of the Bills as his NFL affiliation seems to indicate that he’s planning to move on from the organization.

Participating in the coach accelerator program likely indicates that Frazier is seeking a head-coaching opportunity when he returns from his yearlong sabbatical. The 64-year-old has three-plus seasons of head-coaching experience with the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013, but he posted a 21-32-1 record with just one playoff appearance.

However, Frazier has expressed frustration about being passed over for head-coaching jobs recently, citing Buffalo regularly ranking as one of the top defenses in the NFL. 

“I’d be lying if I told you that I felt like it would take this long to have that opportunity come along (again), especially after some of the success and particularly the most recent success we’ve had in Buffalo,” Frazier said last June on AP’s “Appetite for Football” podcast. “So it’s discouraging in some ways, but you just have to be able to control what you can control.”

Frazier was passed over during the last coaching cycle for three jobs including the Chicago Bears, who hired Matt Eberflus; the Miami Dolphins, who hired Mike McDaniel; and the New York Giants, who hired Brian Daboll. He stated he was told by the Dolphins and Giants they simply preferred an offensive-minded head coach to work with quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Daniel Jones, respectively.

"I think it’s very narrow-minded to only see the head coach as an offensive guy because you have a young quarterback,” Frazier said. “You need the right leader in that role because you’ve got to be able to handle multiple responsibilities, not just call offensive plays. I just I think that’s a misguided approach, but I’m not the guy doing the hiring.”