New Bills Coach Joe Brady Had Powerful Message About Sean McDermott

The Bills found their replacement for Sean McDermott from within their own building by promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to become the franchise’s next head coach.

Over his nine seasons as Buffalo’s coach, McDermott transformed the organization from a team with the NFL’s longest playoff drought to a perennial contender. The Bills made the postseason eight times under McDermott, won five division titles and won a postseason game in six straight seasons. Ultimately, Buffalo’s inability to win or get to the Super Bowl with Josh Allen at quarterback resulted in the Bills firing McDermott.

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Brady, who was hired earlier this week, spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday as Buffalo’s head coach. Though the choice to fire McDermott and the manner in which Bills went about it rubbed some the wrong way after all he accomplished for the franchise, Brady made sure to give McDermott his due as he addressed the press as McDermott’s replacement.

"I want to thank and recognize Sean McDermott,” Brady said. “In 2022, four years ago, Coach McDermott gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. I had an opportunity to come here, coach for the Buffalo Bills and coach Josh Allen. I took immense pride in that. Over the past four years I’ve learned a tremendous amount of things from Coach McDermott. How to lead. Resilience. Standards. The past nine years in this organization matter. I’m understanding of that. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of it. They matter deeply and they deserve respect. I’m so grateful for Coach McDermott, I love Coach McDermott and I’m going to do everything I can to continue to build upon the things he laid and the foundation he laid.”

Joe Brady with gratitude for his former coaches, including Sean McDermott.

“I love Sean McDermott.”

Says it’s his job to build on the foundation McDermott laid nine years ago. pic.twitter.com/rcLjh6mHKD
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 29, 2026

McDermott set the standard for this current era of Bills football and now Brady is well aware that it’s his duty to take this team to the next level.

Brady said, “I understand that I’m walking into this role in a much better position than Coach McDermott did. I am not naive to that. I also understand that the expectations are higher as well. I didn’t take this job to shy away from expectations. I’m embracing it, I’m understand it and I’m meeting it full on.”

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