One of the biggest surprises of the offseason came when the Buffalo Bills moved on from head coach Sean McDermott despite posting another double-digit win season. Given the lack of significant progress in a seven-year playoff streak, the franchise hit reset and handed the job to offensive coordinator Joe Brady with Josh Allen’s blessing.
The decision raised plenty of eyebrows because Brady had never served as a head coach at any level before.
With training camp underway at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, general manager Brandon Beane recently shared how the new head coach has already begun putting his philosophy on the team.
Brandon Beane Shared How Joe Brady Is Preparing the Bills in the Training Camp
Speaking on the “OverDrive” podcast, Beane explained that Brady is establishing the balance between being approachable and demanding.
“He is a good guy, and he wants to see you well, but he will jump you if you need to be jumped, whether that’s a staff member, whether that’s a player,” Beane said. “I think some of the people even saw that the last couple days in practice.
“Yesterday I think we had five or six offsides, and that’s inside of the ball, especially. He was not happy with that, and he let the offense know it: that’s not winning football. And he will do that. He’ll be able to do that. But he’ll also know when to pat these guys on the butt and when to kick them in the butt, and that’s what the good ones do.”
Despite the pressure, Beane believes Brady can lead the Bills.
Back in February, the GM revealed many in Bills Mafia expected Buffalo to chase an experienced coach after McDermott’s nine-year run. Some even pushed for outside candidates or a reunion with former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
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But the front office stayed committed to its internal plan and trusted Brady with the franchise. That confidence also comes from Brady’s track record in Buffalo.
He joined the coaching staff in 2022 before taking over as interim offensive coordinator during the 2023 season. Later, he earned the full-time role after directing an offense that ranked fourth in both points and total yardage in 2025.
Those results gave Beane every reason to believe Brady was ready, even if the growing pains were always going to be part of the journey. Buffalo’s decision also became easier because of Brady’s connection with Josh Allen.
The pair helped keep one of the league’s most dangerous offenses on track, which led to the team promoting Brady to preserve that chemistry while adding another layer to the offense.
“I don’t want to be wrong and see him go somewhere else when my gut told me it was Joe Brady,” Beane said back in February.
“I’m never going to do that. I would love for everyone to cheer every move, but it’s not about winning the press conference. It’s about winning games.”
Still, the challenge ahead remains enormous. The Bills boast one of the strongest rosters among the 10 teams that changed head coaches this offseason.
Brady also steps into a situation where Buffalo consistently reached the postseason under McDermott but never found the breakthrough needed to capture a Super Bowl.
As a result, expectations within the organization have not changed. The standard remains “Super Bowl or bust” with Allen leading the offense and Buffalo coming off years of double-digit wins.
For now, Beane believes Brady is the right choice. However, time will tell whether the Bills made a costly gamble or got the NFL’s next mastermind.
