Joe Brady's ascension to the mind behind one of the NFL's best offenses didn't happen overnight.
It began during his time at LSU, which propelled him to the offensive coordinator job on Matt Rhule's staff in Carolina. That didn't work out, sending Brady back down the coaching ladder. But once the Bills decided it was time to part with former OC Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 season, Brady returned to a familiar role -- and transformed the Bills offense into one of the most balanced and dangerous attacks in the NFL.
Those achievements have attracted attention from clubs seeking new head coaches. Bills quarterback Josh Allen would prefer the rest of the league forget Brady exists for a month.
"Nothing," Allen said cheekily when asked how Brady has helped their improvement, . "He hasn't done anything for us. Teams should stay away from him."
Brady's impact was visible almost immediately. Shortly after he replaced Dorsey last year, Buffalo rededicated itself to the run, balancing out an offense that relied too heavily on Allen's talents. The Bills won their final five games of that season, running the table to an appearance in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Given a full offseason to call the shots, Brady's offense has taken flight in 2024. Buffalo ranks 10th in yards per game, including ninth-place finishes in rushing yards and passing yards per game. Allen is a leading candidate for MVP. James Cook posted his second straight 1,000-yard season on the ground, and the Bills are 13-4 even after losing Stefon Diggs in the offseason.
"He's been fantastic," Allen said of Brady. "You know, coming into that situation last year... It's not easy to switch play-callers midyear, and he came in and from that day on, if you look at our splits, our success that we've had as a team, it's noticeable. He's one of the most positive guys in the building. He's always got juice and energy for the guys. I think that's something that we love and appreciate about him. He's as real as they come."
Brady received a lesson in offensive coaching as an assistant under Sean Payton in New Orleans from 2017-18, taking that knowledge to LSU where he oversaw one of the most explosive passing attacks in college football. With Joe Burrow under center and Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase running routes, those Tigers went undefeated and won the College Football Playoff National Championship, and Brady earned the Broyles Award as the top assistant in college football.
Despite his struggles in a bad situation in Carolina, Brady has fought through adversity to find a role that suits him perfectly. The Bills hope he'll continue leading them to success and possibly their first Super Bowl appearance since the early 1990s.
And if Allen has his way, nobody will notice.
