The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with Joe Brady to become the team’s next head coach, signing him to a five-year contract. Brady’s promotion comes after serving two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator.
At 36 years old, Brady is set to be the youngest NFL head coach entering the 2026 season. He will turn 37 in September. While other teams such as the Raiders, Cardinals, and Browns have yet to announce their new head coaches, Brady currently holds this distinction. Rams coach Sean McVay remains the youngest NFL coach at the time of his hiring (30 years old) and also holds the record for being the youngest Super Bowl-winning coach at age 36. Other young head coaches in the league include Kellen Moore (Saints), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Ben Johnson (Bears), and Sean McVay himself.
Brady has established a strong working relationship with quarterback Josh Allen since joining Buffalo in 2022 as quarterbacks coach. “We know each other really well, I’ve got a lot of faith in him, and he’s got faith in me,” Allen said ahead of the 2025 season. After being named full-time offensive coordinator following the 2023 season, Brady emphasized his approach: “At the end of the day, this is Josh Allen’s offense,” he said in May 2024. “You’re going to put together the offense around the guys that you’ve got… There’ll be some elements of things that I believe in, but it’s more of like, tell me who we have on our football team and the guys and what they can do well and we’re going to do that.”
Under Brady’s leadership as offensive coordinator, Buffalo has posted strong results offensively. The team averaged nearly 30 points per game—second-best in the league—and ranked third in both total yards per game and rushing yards per game during his tenure. Passing yards per game placed them tenth overall. Advanced metrics show Buffalo led all teams in EPA/play and EPA/rush since 2024 while ranking second in success rate and EPA/dropback.
In 2024, Brady played a key role as Josh Allen earned his first MVP award; Brady was also recognized as an AP Assistant Coach of the Year finalist that year. Running back James Cook III went on to win the NFL rushing title under Brady’s guidance one year later.
During Week 13 of the 2024 season, Josh Allen presented Brady with a game ball after learning that Brady’s wife had given birth to their daughter on game day. “We got two kids born in Buffalo, and so they’ll be proud of that their whole life,” said Brady about his growing family. He described returning home after traveling from Pittsburgh: “A lot of energy when I got back, when I got home last night, I got to meet my daughter,” he shared on December 1.
Brady’s previous coaching experience includes working alongside several current members of Buffalo’s staff before joining the Bills organization. He worked with quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry and senior defensive assistant Ryan Nielsen while all were assistants with New Orleans between 2017-2018. Linebackers coach Al Holcomb served as interim defensive coordinator during Brady’s time with Carolina. Offensive quality control coach DJ Mangas played college football with Brady at William & Mary; they later coached together at William & Mary, LSU, and Carolina.
It remains uncertain how much change will come to Buffalo’s coaching staff moving forward; however, existing relationships between coaches are seen as beneficial for continuity under new leadership.
