Buffalo Bills‘ new head coach Joe Brady will continue to call offensive plays in 2026, but he’ll have to balance those duties with the bigger responsibilities of leading the entire team.
The 36-year-old, who was the Bills’ offensive coordinator for the last 2.5 seasons, will take even greater control of quarterback Josh Allen and the offense. Brady made it clear he’s ready for this opportunity during his introductory press conference on Thursday. He emphasized one main tenet of the game when speaking of his mentality.
What’ll change most for Brady now that he’s head coach?
We’re live with Joe Brady at One Bills Drive for his introductory press conference as Bills Head Coach! https://t.co/3mJ8abk5ge
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 29, 2026
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“As an offensive play caller, everything you’re going through is thinking situational football,” Brady said. “You’re having the mindset of ‘I’m calling this play, this is what’s happening next.'”
Now he’ll be responsible for managing the game as a whole.
“When you’re an offensive play caller for a head coach, you have to be mindful of those things because you’re not in full control of handling all those situations. That’s where a collaborative effort is extremely important,” he said.
Though Brady had some costly moments during the Bills’ past three playoff losses, his message Thursday suggested he’s ready for the added responsibility.
Brady’s strong offensive background
Bills quarterback Josh Allen talks with current head coach Joe Brady during the team’s training camp on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2024 at St. John Fisher University. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Brady said his mindset was shaped long before he arrived in Buffalo in 2022 as the quarterbacks coach. He credited former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, whom Brady worked under as an offensive assistant in 2017 in 2018.
Ironically, Payton was the same head coach who sent the Bills packing in the divisional round with the Denver Broncos, leading to McDermott’s firing.
“I’m from the Sean Payton tree,” Brady said. “His aggressiveness, his mindset, and there are so many elements that I believe that we can continue to grow our offense with the pieces that we have and I look forward to that.”
MORE: Bills’ new head coach Joe Brady gets emotional thanking predecessor Sean McDermott
Beane oversaw the second- and fourth-highest scoring offenses in 2024 and 2025, and what he learned from Payton will be put to the test in 2026.
Brady is well-regarded by Allen and general manager Brandon Beane, with the latter expressing confidence in him during the press conference. Still, the expectations attached to Brady will bring a new level of pressure to him as he transitions to the top job.
Bills current head coach Joe Brady tells the players where he wants them to line up during the Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Aug.1, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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