The Buffalo Bills’ decision to fire Sean McDermott after their 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round drew some criticism from around the league. McDermott compiled a 98-50 regular-season record over nine seasons and led the Bills to eight playoff appearances, but Buffalo never reached a Super Bowl during his tenure.
The firing was reasonable because even with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow all missing the postseason, Buffalo failed to reach the Super Bowl, and it was time for a change. Rather than pursuing an external hire, general manager Brandon Beane promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach.
Joe Brady Speaks Up on Sean McDermott’s Exit From the Bills
The decision to make Brady the new head coach showed that the Bills prioritized continuity with quarterback Josh Allen.
Brady recently revealed just how conflicted he felt when the opportunity first presented itself. He addressed his reaction to McDermott’s firing on the “Shout Buffalo Bills Podcast,” and his comments showed how highly he valued the former Bills head coach.
“I didn’t see that and think, ‘I want to be the head coach.’ I was broken,” Brady said about McDermott losing his job. “I was broken for a guy that I worked for. I was also broken for the rest of the coaching staff that is sitting there, like, we’re all out of jobs right now. There was a lot of emotion going on.”
Brady credited McDermott for building his career in Buffalo, having been hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2022 and later promoted to offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“I’m only in Buffalo because of Sean and the opportunities that he gave me,” he added. “This organization is in a much better spot than when he took it over. I’m not walking into the same situation that he’s walking into, and there’s so much good that comes from that.”
Under Brady’s play-calling, Allen won the 2024 NFL MVP after throwing for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns, and a career-low six interceptions. He also rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns that season. In 2025, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Bills’ offense ranked third in the league with an impact score of 86.5.
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
“Sean was an extremely successful head football coach. I hope as I’m coaching, I can accumulate the wins he had and the success he had,” Brady continued. “I don’t want to be Coach McDermott — not in any negative way, but I want to be Joe Brady.”
Beane’s decision to keep the hire in-house reflected his trust in what Brady had built with Allen. The additions of wide receiver DJ Moore via trade from the Chicago Bears and edge rusher Bradley Chubb in free agency give Brady more tools on both sides of the ball heading into his first season as head coach.
The challenge, however, is enormous. The AFC is loaded with contenders, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Jacksonville Jaguars, all fighting for seven playoff spots.
As a result, some good teams will miss the playoffs. If Brady can’t win the AFC East over a Patriots team that took the division crown in 2025 and reached the Super Bowl, or if the Bills suffer another early playoff exit, fans will question the team’s decision to make him head coach.
