The Buffalo Bills finally named their next head coach after firing Sean McDermott, and it is their offensive coordinator, Joe Brady. He earlier suggested names like Brian Daboll and Nate Scheelhaase could grab that opportunity, but the Bills decided to internally promote their offensive coordinator.
But this decision has triggered Dallas Cowboys legend Tony Romo. The reason behind the Bills’ decision, per Romo, would shock anyone.
Cowboys Legend Tony Romo Ripped Buffalo Bills After Joe Brady Named as Next HC
The former Cowboys quarterback and CBS color analyst appeared on ESPN’s “NFL on ESPN” on Tuesday, Jan. 27, with Pat McAfee. When asked about the Bills’ hiring their HC internally over McDermott, he replied with a sharp take.
“I just heard that right there. So that’s interesting, but I was thinking right after,” Romo started his take. “I didn’t love them letting Sean McDermott go. I think he’s a great football coach. Someone is going to get a great guy. I mean, I think if they’re going to make that play though, this is the only reason that you do that is because if you have a stud in your building who might get a head coaching job somewhere else, you keep him in house. And the only way to do that is to hire him as your head coach.”
He added, “Now, I don’t necessarily think Sean McDermott takes a backseat to anybody, but what Joe Brady did when he came on, you know, really changed the fortunes of this office for the last year and a half. I mean, it’s been outstanding. They have a run game.”
“I think if you’re going to [fire Sean McDermott], this is the only reason that you do that.”@tonyromo shares his thoughts on the Bills hiring Joe Brady as their next head coach 🏈
(via @patmcafeeshow) pic.twitter.com/GXjmspmC2S
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 27, 2026
“They have the ability to play action. Josh Allen drops back, but he’s just looked clean, played the best football of his career last year and a half, two years. And so to me, it’s like this is the Joe Brady hire. It’s a lot of the reason why Sean McDermott might not be there in some ways,” he ended his take on the Bills’ new HC hiring.
Why Romo is shocked is that it now looks like the Bills wanted to promote Brady, which is why they fired one of the winningest head coaches in franchise history. It is possible the Bills had no intention of firing McDermott because of this, but the announcement is shocking.
By experience, in his 13 years of coaching, Brady hasn’t been a head coach or, at least, an assistant HC in the NFL. Comparatively, McDermott would appear stalwart in front of him. McDermott was an assistant HC of the Philadelphia Eagles 25 years ago. Then, after his illustrious 10-year tenure with the Eagles, he served as the Panthers’ DC from 2011 to 2016. And then, since he got the head coaching job at the Bills in 2017, he has only missed the playoffs one single time.
But the Bills organization thought they had been stuck in the same spot in the NFL playoffs for years, that is, the Wild-card and championship rounds. “It was one year after another,” the Bills owner Terry Pegula said alongside GM Brandon Beane at their end-of-season press conference. “I just couldn’t see us doing that with Sean. It’s not an easy decision, trust me, with that success. But what is success? Is it being in the playoffs seven years in a row with no Super Bowl?” So, they decided to move on. Many players were surprised by this move.
But fans and experts expected the Bills might hire an experienced guy who either has a strong bond with quarterback Josh Allen or has a strong resume. Now, after Brady’s hiring, the Bills have a 36-year-old in the house with 13 years of experience who fulfills one of the two requirements.
He has been with the organization for the past 4 years. Brady started his stint with the Bills in 2022 as a QB coach after his two years with the Carolina Panthers. Then he was promoted to the Interim OC position in 2023, followed by the OC role in 2024 and 2025. And now, the head coaching job. Do you think this gamble by the Bills after McDermott’s firing will pay off? Let’s see.
