When news broke on Tuesday morning that the Buffalo Bills had promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the team’s head coaching position, the NFL world had a mix of reactions to the hiring.
Brady will now take over for Sean McDermott, who was fired by the Bills after Buffalo lost 33-30 in an AFC Wild Card game to the Denver Broncos.
Bills Hiring Joe Brady as HC Draws Mixed Reactions
NFL analytics expert Warren Sharp did not hold back when looking at what the Bills said they were looking for in a new coach. Sharp also pointed out that it looked like Buffalo really didn’t make a daring hire in elevating Brady.
Sharp posted on X on Tuesday morning, “Bills made the bold move to fire their HC after another very good season … they wanted a big change to finally get to & win a Super Bowl … then they got scared, and: … kept the same GM … kept the same offense … promoted same OC to HC … not sure how these are the big moves that achieve their goal … anticlimactic & feels uninspiring”.
Bills made the bold move to fire their HC after another very good season
they wanted a big change to finally get to & win a Super Bowl
…then they got scared, and:
kept the same GM
kept the same offense
promoted same OC to HCnot sure how these are the big moves that achieve…
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 27, 2026
ESPN NFL draft analyst and insider Matt Miller pointed out that Bills quarterback Josh Allen probably is happy that Brady will still be around next season. Miller posted on X, “Josh Allen should be a very happy quarterback today. Now go get a defensive coordinator who can run that side of the ball and draft some damn playmakers at WR and DB.”
Josh Allen should be a very happy quarterback today. Now go get a defensive coordinator who can run that side of the ball and draft some damn playmakers at WR and DB. https://t.co/ykuT6lXfiK
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 27, 2026
Underdog director Hayden Winks had an interesting thought about what Bills ownership did in keeping Brady on board. He posted on X, “Love the Bills owner saying the coaches wanted Keon Coleman just last week, and then promoting the *offensive coordinator* to head coach. What a week for the Pegulas.” Winks was referring to Bills owner Terry Pegula, who also owns the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
But Winks wasn’t done with his comments. He also posted on X, “Soooooo Bills get a worse DEF play caller and keep the same thing going on OFF. Joe Brady has to be dramatically better managing the team to make this worth it, and McDermott seemed totally fine on that front. Interesting choice.”
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Longtime NFL senior reporter Albert Breer of The MMQB pointed toward a couple of key things that happened when Brady interviewed for the Bills’ head coaching job.
Breer posted on X, “A couple keys in the Bills’ hire of Joe Brady — there was a HC as CEO piece of every candidate’s interview with Buffalo, Brady hit a home run on that. And Brady’s promotion allows for scheme continuity, and easy alignment with GM Brandon Beane (who made this call), and the scouts.”
A couple keys in the Bills’ hire of Joe Brady—there was a HC as CEO piece of every candidate’s interview with Buffalo, Brady hit a home run on that. And Brady’s promotion allows for scheme continuity, and easy alignment with GM Brandon Beane (who made this call), and the scouts. https://t.co/BZbu1yyz0K
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 27, 2026
Zack Rosenblatt, who covers the New York Jets and the NFL as a senior writer for The Athletic, wasn’t too keen on what the Bills finalized on Tuesday. Rosenblatt posted a short reaction on X: “Don’t really get this one”.
RJ Ochoa, who is manager and editor-in-chief of Blogging The Boys, which focuses on the Dallas Cowboys, drew an analogy between what happened with the Cowboys around Brian Schottenheimer and the Bills’ situation.
Ochoa posted on X, “Last year it was a disaster how the Cowboys moved on from Mike McCarthy only to just promote Brian Schottenheimer from within the building. Schotty has earned some trust, but that doesn’t justify the process. I thought there was no way we’d ever see another NFL team be so silly. The Bills did it just a year later!”
Kendall Mirsky, who calls himself a Bills fan and is also an editorial researcher at NFL Network and NFL media, was not thrilled with this move.
Mirsky offered his reaction on X: “I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. This is bad. I like Brady fine. But Bills leadership really said “the only thing that’s stopped us from getting to the SB was Sean McDermott” and this move couldn’t say that any louder. I really thought they’d outside hire”.
I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.
This is bad. I like Brady fine. But Bills leadership really said “the only thing that’s stopped us from getting to the SB was Sean McDermott” and this move couldn’t say that any louder.
I really thought they’d outside hire https://t.co/zMjuCrMqZP
— Kendall Mirsky (@MirskyKendall) January 27, 2026
Sam Block of ESPN questioned the Bills’ hire, along with a couple of other ones made recently, wondering if these hires were actually a step up. Block posted on X on Tuesday, “Bills… Sean McDermott to Joe Brady. Ravens… John Harbaugh to Jesse Minter. Steelers… Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy. Are these upgrades ???”
Derek Brown, who covers the NFL and the NFL draft for Fantasy Pros, posted on X, “The weird vibes in Buffalo continue…”
Stan Verrett, who co-hosts the “Stan and Neil Show” with his fellow former ESPN broadcaster Neil Everett, thought that the Bills’ hiring Brady was a really solid move. Verrett posted on X, “Smart move. Great offensive mind. They were likely to lose him if they didn’t promote him. Now, Allen doesn’t have to learn a new system. They can build on what they have.”
Robby Kalland of CBS Sports had a rather pointed comment on what Pegula did in elevating Brady to the head coaching role.
Kalland posted on Bluesky, “Terry Pegula throwing the coaching staff under the bus for the Keon Coleman pick to protect Brandon Beane and then turning around and hiring the OC from that staff is so f**king funny. billionaire brain must be studied.”
According to the PFSN NFL Offense Impact Metric, measured throughout the regular season, the Bills’ offense ranked third in the league with an impact score of 86.5 and was graded a B.
With all of these reactions pouring in on Brady and the Bills, it’s safe to say that the NFL world will be watching to see how things work out in Orchard Park, N.Y., next season.
