The Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott, who had resurrected the team and led it to seven straight double-digit win seasons, only to promote Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach.
The decision raised concerns beyond Western New York.
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Bills general manager Brandon Beane was clearly not surprised. Beane, who was also promoted after the Bills’ AFC Divisional Round exit, revealed in an interview with Go Long that he was prepared for “outside” questions about the 36-year-old Brady’s appointment.
“F*** out there,” Beane said, via Go Long, who is also now the Bills’ president of football operations. Advertisement
“When my gut told me that was Joe Brady, I didn’t want to make the mistake of seeing him go somewhere else. I would never do that.”
“I want everyone to be cheering every step of the way, but it’s not about winning the press conference. It’s about winning the game out there,” Beane added, according to Go Long.
Even before the Bills gave Brady the nod, they lost a press conference. Beane was among them, sitting next to team owner Terry Pegula on Jan. 19. They answered questions about the status of the team and, more notably, why McDermott was fired.
Pegula mentioned the “playoff wall” he believes the Bills have suffered under McDermott. He also defended Beane, blaming the coaching staff for Buffalo’s decision to select former Michigan State and Florida State receiver Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 draft.
Coleman has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons in the league, and Pegula noted that Beane “is a team player” when the Bills made this selection.
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Pegula has been heavily criticized since, as has Beane, especially after a video circulated on social media showing Beane’s interest in Coleman as a potential candidate in the pre-draft stages.
After that PR nightmare, Coleman had the support of not only Brady, but also quarterback Josh Allen.
If Coleman does remain on the roster, Brady will be tasked with maximizing his role and finding a way to keep Allen afloat in the postseason.
But Beane’s roster structure will remain under the microscope as it has been examined for years, and not just about the receiver position.
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How he handles this offseason will be closely watched. The same goes for Brady’s approval rating for his promotion to head coach.
