Getty
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 17: Offensive coordinator Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills looks on prior to the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 17, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
New Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady is setting to work building his staff. After The Bills moved on from longtime HC Sean McDermott following Buffalo’s overtime loss in Denver in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. Now, he’s continuing to hire his coordinators and assistants.
Brady garnered attention from the NFL back in 2019 when he was the offensive coordinator for the LSU Tigers, orchestrating an elite offense on the way to an undefeated season and a national championship. He was credited with the development of QB Joe Burrow and WRs Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — three players who have gone on to become All-Pros and among the best at their respective positions in the NFL.
Since then, Brady spent some time as the offensive coordinator for the Panthers before joining the Bills’ staff as the quarterbacks coach, eventually being promoted to offensive coordinator and now head coach. He’ll be tasked with getting Buffalo over the hump and leading MVP QB Josh Allen and this team to a Super Bowl.
The Buffalo Bills Hired a New Special Teams Coordinator
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 27: Offensive coordinator Joe Brady stands with Mitchell Trubisky #11 and Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
On Friday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Bills have hired Jeff Rodgers as their new special teams coordinator. Previously, Rodgers worked as the Cardinals‘ special teams coordinator under HC Jonathan Gannon, though that staff was let go after the season.
Rodgers is a longtime special teams coach, working as the special teams coordinator for the Cardinals, Bears, Broncos, Panthers, 49ers, and now the Bills in his career. Last season, the Cardinals ranked 18th in special team grade, per PFF.
The Bills, meanwhile, ranked ninth, though special teams grades can be fluky and often fluctuate year-to-year. Dubbed the “forgotten phase of the game,” special teams play can make or break seasons, as the Rams, Packers, 49ers, and others have learned in recent years.
The Buffalo Bills Need to Get Younger
The Bills have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL, filled with excellent players reaching the ends of their careers. Players such as CB Tre’Davious White, LB Matt Milano, ED Joey Bosa, S Jordan Poyer, and LB Shaq Thompson aren’t moving the same way they did when they were younger.
As evidenced by the examples above, the Bills are particularly old on defense. But they were forced to rely on older veterans on offense down the stretch in 2025, as well, such as WR Brandin Cooks. If Buffalo wants to revitalize its roster with more talent, now is the perfect time.
That process starts in the draft, and the Bills added a lot of young defensive talent last year, including CBs Maxwell Hairston and Dorian Strong, and DTs T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker. But they’ll need more, and this upcoming draft is rife with defensive talent for Buffalo to bring in.
Ethan Woodie is an accomplished sports writer specializing in the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. He’s written for Heavy since 2025 and has years of experience writing for NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Woodie is an expert in draft scouting and his final 2025 Big Board was included in Arif Hasan’s media consensus board for Wide Left. More about Ethan Woodie
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories