After firing Sean McDermott in a very surprising move, the Buffalo Bills worked quickly to secure their next HC, and instead of going outside the building, they went with OC Joe Brady. This hire made sense due to Brady’s rise in the NFL, offensive success with the Bills, and great relationship with star QB Josh Allen.
What Did a Former New Orleans Saints QB Say in Support of the Hire of Pete Carmichael Jr.?
The Bills must fill the staff, and for the OC opening, Brady went back to his time with the New Orleans Saints to hire Pete Carmichael Jr.
From 2009 to 2023, Carmichael was the OC for the Saints, and here, he had major success under Sean Payton and coaching legend Drew Brees. Before that, he was the Saints’ QB coach for three years. During his time as OC, the offense was one of the best in the NFL every year, but once Payton and Brees were no longer on the team, that success dropped. Charmichael was still OC, but that only lasted two seasons.
During his time with the Saints, Brady was also on the staff for only one year in 2017. Another person who was on the Saints during this time was QB Chase Daniel, and when the news of Carmichael’s hire was released, he added his opinion on the move:
I was with Joe Brady & Pete Carmichael in 2017 in the QB room….this is a fantastic hire.
Expect a lot of Sean Payton influence in Bills offense…under center big play action to add to Josh Allen’s game. https://t.co/JVVqeIM9Mz
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) January 30, 2026
As someone who was with both coaches in New Orleans, Daniel is a great source for this hire. Among fans, the move was met with confusion, given that Carmichael’s last two years with the Saints were not good, but in this case, his role could be very similar to what it was with Payton in New Orleans.
Yes, Brady will have the final call on plays and run the offense, but Carmichael can still add insight when needed. He can also take some pressure off Brady. Going from a coordinator role to HC is a big change, and having a veteran coach who understands how it works and can help will make the process easier for Brady.
Time will tell what the offense looks like under Brady/Carmichael, but if it can achieve similar success to the Saints in 2017 (2nd overall in PFSN’s Offensive Impact Metric), Allen may be on his way to another MVP.
