Why Joe Brady could become NFL’s youngest head coach

Summarize this content to 100 words: Jan. 22, 2026, 9:44 a.m. ETJoe Brady’s offensive philosophy has been “everybody eats.”It may be time for him to enjoy a main course.NFL teams were already lining up head coaching interviews with Brady before the Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott. Now, Buffalo faces a rare and delicate situation. The Bills could lose both their head coach and their offensive coordinator in the same week.Brady remains a candidate for multiple teams still looking for a head coach and was interviewed by the Bills on Monday to kick off their search. If Buffalo hires someone other than Brady, it’s not certain the next head coach would retain him as offensive coordinator.That reality raises questions the Bills must answer: Is Joe Brady ready to be a head coach? And if so, should Buffalo hire him to replace McDermott? Buffalo could preserve continuity for Josh Allen and maintain an offense that has become one of the league’s most efficient and flexible. Or the Bills could let Brady leave, possibly to an AFC competitor, while beginning a full reset under a new staff.Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.At 36 years old, Brady would become the youngest active head coach in the NFL.Joe Brady gaining momentumBrady has been interviewed by four NFL teams that still have a vacant head coaching position. The Bills also plan to interview him.Brady is one of three candidates scheduled for a second interview with the Baltimore Ravens, joining Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Baltimore interviewed 16 candidates during its first round of meetings before narrowing the list.Brady has also interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders.A rapid ascent in BuffaloBrady took over as the Bills’ offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season after McDermott fired Ken Dorsey. Buffalo was 5–5 at the time. With Brady calling plays, the Bills went 6–1 to close the regular season and surged into the playoffs.Over Brady’s two full seasons running the offense, the results have been consistent.Buffalo finished top five in the NFL in points per game in both seasons.Josh Allen won NFL MVP in 2024.Running back James Cook led the league in rushing in 2025.Thirteen different Bills players caught a receiving touchdown in 2024.Allen completed a career-high 69.3% of his passes in 2025.Since Brady assumed control of the offense, the Bills are 31–10 in the regular season. Brady is known for a diverse, adaptable approach: spreading touches, adjusting weekly to personnel, and avoiding overreliance on a single star.Joe Brady’s resumeBrady’s coaching rise began at William & Mary, where he played wide receiver from 2009–2012 before joining the staff as a linebackers coach. He later served as a graduate assistant at Penn State before moving to the NFL with the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton.His national profile exploded in 2019 at LSU.As the LSU passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, Brady helped orchestrate one of the most dominant offenses in college football history. Quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy, LSU captured the national championship, and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase won the Biletnikoff Award. Brady won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach as LSU averaged 48.4 points and 568.4 yards per game.His first NFL coordinator role with the Carolina Panthers ended abruptly in his second season in 2021 after a 5–7 start, but the Bills brought him in as quarterbacks coach in 2022.Brady was named a finalist for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2024.



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