As the Philadelphia Eagles look for their next defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard was considered to be one of the top candidates. But after some discussion between Leonhard and the Eagles, he is now out of the running.

Leonhard and the Eagles have mutually agreed to not move forward with his defensive coordinator candidacy, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Leonhard planned to have hip surgery and take a year off from coaching before Philadelphia approached him for an interview. However, both sides agreed that now was not the right time.

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Jim Leonhard served as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator from 2017-2022. In 2022, he also had an opportunity to be the Badgers' interim head coach. Leonhard spent 10 years in the NFL and clearly still has league ties. However, at least with the Eagles, Leonhard's piece of the puzzle did not fit.

Instead, the Eagles seem to be targeting Vance Joseph for their defensive coordinator position. While nothing is official, Joseph has spent ample time interviewing with Philadelphia over the vacancy.

Whoever gets the job will be replacing Jonathan Gannon, who is now the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Any candidate will have a tough act to follow, as Gannon led Philadelphia to having the second-best defense in the NFL, allowing just 301.5 yards per game.

With Leonhard's experience as a player and coach, he may someday get an opportunity in the NFL. For now, it won't come with Philadelphia. The Eagles will now go back to the drawing board – or potentially to Joseph – as they look to replace Gannon at DC.