Joe Brady was one of the ten head coaches that were hired this past offseason, but he caught the most attention simply because of the situation that the Buffalo Bills found themselves in. Despite them being a consistent playoff contender under Sean McDermott, them not reaching the Super Bowl even once was the final straw on McDermott’s tenure in Buffalo.
Brady will now get his shot at not just leading the Bills, with whom he has been with since 2022, but it is his first chance at being a head coach which comes with a lot of responsibility. The two new head coaches that face pressure to succeed sooner than later include Brady, and Jesse Minter of the Baltimore Ravens, simply because of where each organization is currently at.
However, Brady has been in the building already so he already knows what the culture is like. As for Minter, he hasn't been with the Ravens since 2020 so there's been a bit of a gap which gives him a little but more room to grow as a first time head coach.
Joe Brady faces instant pressure to succeed (but he has massive advantage)
There is no doubt that Brady has to deliver sooner than later to prove that he was the right guy to replace McDermott. At the same time, Brady already knows the operation and has been one of the better offensive play callers the last few seasons. Plus, it also helps that he has the best quarterback in the league in Josh Allen.
Even though Brady has yet to lead his first game as a head coach in the NFL, Lou Scataglia from NFL Spin Zone is giving Brady the benefit of the doubt about how he views Brady going into the 2026 season in a recent head coach rankings.
Head coach rankings shows belief in Joe Brady ahead of 2026
Scataglia put together a power ranking of head coaches going into the season, and Scataglia has Brady ranked at No. 15 which is right in the middle of the pack. As a first-time head coach, that is a great ranking. Not to mention, Scataglia has Brady as the highest ranked new head coach that was hired this past cycle.
"Joe Brady is taking over a Buffalo Bills team that has been in the playoffs each year since 2019, winning the division each year from 2020-2024. The Bills are a juggernaut, and we all know the story with the club. Changing head coaches could end up being the move they needed to make, and Brady is stepping into a situation where he may not have to change much." said Scataglia.
"I'd be shocked if the Bills weren't still near the top of the AFC, as Brady had already been with the franchise and was a part of a lot of winning." Scataglia added.
It’s a different overall vibe with Brady in charge instead of McDermott. Maybe it’s for better, maybe it could set them back. Either way, change was needed because what was going on under McDermott clearly wasn’t enough.
There’s no denying that Brady will have his growing pains as a first-time head coach. Even though he has some things working against him, he has a lot more factors working in his favor.
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