Joe Brady is now the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, but after years of his offense leading the charge in Western New York, his defense’s future is at the forefront of Bills Mafia’s concerns as his tenure begins.
Of course, Brady must hire a new defensive staff. Former head coach Sean McDermott ran the defense for the past nine years, but under his direction, it slowly became less of a strength for the team. His defensive coordinator, Bobby Babich, and cornerbacks coach, Jahmile Addae, have already taken new jobs.
While general manager Brandon Beane will help Brady build the defensive staff, it’s clear that Brady’s vision of what’s next for the Bills’ defense blew him and owner Terry Pegula away, and it should have Bills Mafia excited, too.
How Bills HC Joe Brady’s understanding of offense shapes his defensive priorities
In Beane’s opening statement at Brady’s introductory press conference on Thursday, the GM expressed his excitement for where the defense is headed under Brady’s direction.
“Joe’s offenses know how to attack in many different ways. And we all know that about Joe," he said."But what I and our team learned through this process was Joe’s vision for how he would run an entire football team, and specifically, his thoughts on how our defense would play under Joe, if he was given this job.
“He wants a defense that attacks opposing quarterbacks and playcallers pre-snap and post-snap. A defense that dictates to the offense.”
Later, when taking questions, Brady went into deep detail about what he’s looking for in his first defensive coordinator hire.
“The privilege that I’ve had of calling plays, you understand what keeps you up at night. I feel like defensive football for so many years was just putting stress on quarterbacks. You get to the line of scrimmage, and they’re putting stress on quarterbacks pre-snap, post-snap. Nowadays, the best defenses and the best minds are continuing all the way through the playcall, putting stress on coordinators. No longer are you able to just know where guys are going to be, when they’re going to be there," he said."I think that that’s a key element of what I’m looking for in a defense, is making sure that we have the versatility to be able to change the personnels, get a lot of different people in different spots, similar to what we do offensively. I don’t believe that offensive football and defensive football should have different mindsets.”
To be just 36-years-old, Brady showed why he’s been such a fast riser through the coaching ranks with that statement. He showed that he understands that he not only uses his understanding of the defense’s approach to figure out how to attack it, but also how to utilize it to his benefit as a head coach.
Of course, to that end, one of the more consistent hangups in McDermott’s defenses was the lack of pressure on the quarterbacks, but the same could be said for the pressure that McDermott’s schematics didn’t put on opposing playcallers. The 2025 season was a strong representation on both ends. The Bills were one of the worst defenses in stopping the run and were painfully average in getting after the quarterback.
Overall, though, Brady’s enthusiasm about the future of the defense should have Bills Mafia excited to see what’s next for that side of the ball. In his opening statement, Brady took a moment to speak to his defensive players to express hom much he was looking forward to working with them instead of against them.
“I may be calling plays, still, but I’m no longer the offensive coordinator, Max, right?” He said, initially directing his attention at rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston. “The defensive and special teams guys, one day, I can’t wait to grow our relationship, right? And deepen it and understand who you are, and continue to grow that. And I can’t wait to go out to practice, right, and when you get a takeaway, be able to celebrate with you just like I was talking a lot of– to you.”
READ MORE: Bills fans won't like how Josh Allen showed up to Joe Brady's press conference
Brady has options on the table already for his next defensive coordinator, with Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard reportedly being the leading candidate. Of course, Cleveland Browns DC Jim Schwartz, who coached the Bills’ defense to a top-5 finish in 2014, wants out of Cleveland after being passed over for the head coaching position there.
Those are just two options the Mafia has on their radar, and at the top of their wishlist. Both coaches have proven themselves to fit the mold of what Brady is looking for throughout their impressive careers.
Nonetheless, even if neither of those two candidates lands the job, it seems like Bills Mafia should expect someone with a similar defensive mindset. That’s exactly what the Mafia is hoping to get as the staff takes shape in the coming weeks.