Bills Central

Josh Allen, Bills choose one former offensive coordinator over another with Joe Brady

Brady was announced as Sean McDermott’s replacement on Tuesday
Khari Demos|
Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen (17) and now Buffalo Bills’ head coach Joe Brady.
Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen (17) and now Buffalo Bills’ head coach Joe Brady. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills' selection of Joe Brady as their next head coach over a field that included Brian Daboll can’t be simplified to them picking one former offensive coordinator over another.

But when you dig deeper, there’s some validity to that.

First and foremost, Bills owner Terry Pegula shared how involved his MVP QB Josh Allen would be in this process. So, it’s safe to say he signed off on this move, as Brady helped Allen win his first career MVP award as his OC in 2024.

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Relationships seem to be at the core of what Buffalo was prioritizing in this process. And seeing Allen’s dynamic with Brady, as opposed to with Daboll, may have played a factor in the hire.

”Nothing, he’s done nothing for us. Teams should stay away from him,” Allen said jokingly of Brady when he was a hot name in the 2025 coaching cycle. “He’s been fantastic. It’s not easy to switch playcallers midseason.”

Allen noted the success of the Bills’ offense with Brady at the helm down the stretch of the 2023 season after OC Ken Dorsey was fired. That led to a record-setting run in 2024, resulting in Allen winning MVP.

Even when things were off kilter at times in 2025, Allen came to Brady’s defense.

”I’m extremely confident in Joe, love him like a brother,” said Allen to the Buffalo media after a shocking upset loss to the Dolphins. “He’s been awesome for my career.”

Meanwhile, Daboll, the favorite to land the gig, had a more father-son dynamic with Allen. And it made sense to bring Daboll back, the former Bills’ OC who is a Western New Yorker born and raised.

But his dynamic with Allen had to be factored in.

Allen is entering year nine. He’s not the same wild Buffalo Daboll coached up in the beginning of his career. He may not have been looking for that type of father-son dynamic with his next coach.

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Rather, he may have been looking for a coach with whom he could have a partnership as the face of the Buffalo franchise. Enter Brady.

There’s also reports that Daboll’s “emotional outbursts” became a problem for the Giants to manage, ultimately leading to his firing after a 20-40-1 tenure there.

Relationships matted here for the Bills. And it seems like his relationship with Brady is a strong reason why he's Buffalo's next HC.

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.