The Bills' Chief Remaining Offseason Duty Tasks Joe Brady With Rapidly Establishing New-Look Unit

With the Buffalo Bills set to embark on one of their most critical campaigns in the past decade, one of the most significant duties that remains to be completed is for first-year head coach Joe Brady to determine what the Bills’ offense will look like under his overarching leadership.

Over the past few seasons, since Brady took over as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Bills became increasingly run-heavy, which allowed James Cook to elevate his status to great heights when he became the 2025 NFL rushing champion. With that said, there were always rumors that former head coach Sean McDermott’s preference was a deciding factor in the Bills’ identity on that side of the ball.

Now that Brady is free to roam as the leader of the organization, NFL analyst Kevin Patra is intrigued when it comes to how the Bills’ offense will operate this season.

“I’m curious to see how Brady will deploy his offense differently now that there is truly no restrictor plate on his abilities,” wrote Patra, referencing McDermott’s supposed involvement. “We likely won’t have any reliable answers until the season starts, but it’s a question to puzzle heading into Josh Allen’s ninth season.”

That’s another factor at play. As Allen ages and other elements are added to the mix, it will be interesting to see if Brady shifts how Buffalo is put together offensively. He has previously expressed his desire for Allen to hit the turf to avoid contact with potential tacklers, and perhaps his play-calling this year will feature a distinct change from how we’ve seen them use the franchise quarterback, particularly in short yardage or on designed runs.

There are also other additional factors to consider when projecting how the Bills’ offense will function.

Other elements

Joe Brady, Josh Allen — Bills quarterback Josh Allen talks with offensive coordinator Joe Brady during the Buffalo Bills training camp. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bills added a couple of big pieces at the wide receiver position, including DJ Moore via a trade with the Chicago Bears and the fourth-round selection of UConn’s Skyler Bell in the 2026 draft. There’s no doubt that Buffalo will look to make the most of its improved wide receiver corps and passing game overall.

This past season, tight end Dalton Kincaid was the team’s top target through the air despite dealing with injuries throughout the season. With a full offseason to strengthen his ailment, Kincaid’s presence alongside the Bills’ new additions is an exciting proposition to consider.

If Buffalo goes to a more high-flying offensive attack, that could lead to a more up-tempo style with the Bills taking more chances deep down the field and living with the volatile results they may experience. Under McDermott, discussion often arose regarding Buffalo’s perceived lack of aggressiveness on both sides of the ball. But early signs point to that changing under Brady, who may allow Allen and company to let it fly in 2026.

The Bills’ quarterback has previously stated how he hopes to be less mechanical this season, which could lead to a return of the gunslinging style we saw from Allen early in his career.

If it ain’t broke

Bills running back James Cook III (4) runs against Denver Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss (52) and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96) during the fourth quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The other argument will be that the Bills have been one of the highest-scoring teams in the NFL over the past few years, and that’s come as a result of the running game being a significant factor in the team’s success on that side of the ball. Buffalo was effective when they were more of a pass-focused offense under former offensive coordinators Brian Daboll and Ken Dorsey.

However, since Brady entered the fold and made more use of Cook and the team’s running game, Buffalo’s attack has reached another level of efficiency. There were times in 2025 when it appeared the Bills’ offense had come to a standstill, but it performed well enough down the stretch to help the team get within a whisker of another AFC Championship berth.

Ultimately, Brady could go one of two ways: with a completely new look offensively, or with more of a carryover of how the team has looked over the past several seasons, with McDermott calling some of the shots. If I had to guess, I would say he will open things up and let Allen lead the way into a new era of Bills football.

Whichever way he turns, Brady is under great pressure to help the Bills get over the hump to a Super Bowl. And how he chooses to assemble his offense this year will have a lot to do with the level of achievement the team experiences in the upcoming campaign.

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