Buffalo Bills promoting Joe Brady to head coach after firing Sean McDermott following playoff exit
The Buffalo Bills promote offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach following the departure of Sean McDermott; the Bills were knocked out of the playoffs by the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round to prolong their agonising Super Bowl wait
Tuesday 27 January 2026 17:36, UK
The Buffalo Bills are promoting Joe Brady to head coach as Sean McDermott's replacement, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.
Brady has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons as Bills offensive coordinator having been hired as quarterbacks coach in 2022.
The Bills fired McDermott after nine seasons in charge this month following their defeat to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
McDermott led Buffalo to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons in charge, but ultimately paid the price for not reaching the Super Bowl having twice lost at the AFC Championship Games.
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Brady made a name for himself in 2019 when he served as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach with the star-studded LSU team that won the College National Championship behind the likes of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
He subsequently joined the Carolina Panthers as offensive coordinator under Matt Rhule in 2020, before being fired in December of the 2021 campaign.
Having initially been appointed Buffalo's quarterbacks coach in February 2022, Brady became interim offensive coordinator when the Bills fired Ken Dorsey November the same year after a 5-5 start to the season. Brady's influence ignited a spike an offense as the Bills finished 11-6 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
His efforts earned him the full-time position the following season as MVP quarterback Josh Allen steered the Bills to the AFC title game, where there were again beaten by the Chiefs.
McDermott's Bills entered the 2025 campaign having been eliminated by the Chiefs in four of the last five seasons.
Allen's eight playoff wins and 15 playoff starts are the most by a quarterback in history without playing in a Super Bowl in the Super Bowl era.
Brady's offense ranked fourth in total yards, first in rushing and fourth in scoring during the regular season, and has ranked first in EPA per play since he took over from Dorsey in Week 11 of the 2023 season.
Running back James Cook has been a prominent feature to Brady's success and just led the NFL in rushing yards.
The Bills remain in search of their first Super Bowl appearance since famously losing four in a row from 1990 to 1993.
