Getty
Bills’ Real Reason for Hiring Joe Brady as Head Coach Revealed
The Buffalo Bills let go of their head coach of nine years, Sean McDermott, on Monday, January 19, following a disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos in the NFL’s divisional round of the playoffs.
Now, according to reports, the Buffalo Bills have their new coach. On Tuesday, January 27, news surfaced that the Bills are promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to become their next head coach. Brady, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, has signed a five-year deal with the team.
“Joe Brady has agreed to terms,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport added in a post on X. “He’s the Bills head coach.”
Brady has been with the Buffalo Bills since coming on in 2022 as their quarterbacks coach, after two seasons as the Carolina Panthers‘ offensive coordinator. Working with franchise quarterback Josh Allen during that time, Brady helped Allen throw for more than 4,000 yards in both of those two seasons and added 64 total passing touchdowns, according to NFL research.
In 2023, Brady became offensive coordinator after Ken Dorsey’s departure. Then, one season later, the Bills promoted him to offensive coordinator and was also voted a finalist for the Assistant Coach of the Year award.
So, aside from the long history with the Buffalo Bills, why did the team promote him to head coach? There’s one likely explanation, and it totally makes sense.
Why the Buffalo Bills May Have Promoted Joe Brady
The Buffalo Bills are a strong team, and Brady is a big part of that. But, they could have lost him during this offseason.
Brady was up for multiple NFL head coaching jobs, most notably the Las Vegas Raiders. So, promoting Brady from within ensured that he wouldn’t go elsewhere, and that may be a big reason they did so.
In addition to the Las Vegas Raiders’ interest, Brady also interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins and met with the Arizona Cardinals. So, instead of losing him to any of those teams, the Bills ensured that Brady would stay with the franchise by promoting from within. It’s not a bad move.
So far, the Bills haven’t updated Brady’s bio on their website with his new job role. But, they have this to say about the coach, stating, “Named offensive coordinator of the Bills on January 28, 2024. After originally joining the Bills in 2022 as the team’s quarterbacks coach, Brady was named the team’s interim offensive coordinator on November 14, 2023.” The bio adds, “Prior to arriving in Buffalo, Brady spent two seasons (2020-21) as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator.”
Sean McDermott Bids the Buffalo Bills Farewell
Looking at McDermott and his legacy, he wrote in his farewell statement, “I am proud and humbled to have worked alongside amazing staff and players as we shared life together and poured out our hearts and souls into both winning football games and making a positive impact in our community.”
He added, “This community graciously embraced not only me but my family and in some ways helped raise our children over the last nine years. For that I say thank you to all of the teachers, coaches, and friends whom we met along the way.”
So, the Bills are keeping it in the family with a Brady hire, and honestly, some might wonder why they didn’t just keep McDermott if they’re going with a known as head coach. But, Brady is familiar with Allen, and that goes a long way.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories