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9 things to know about new Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady

Nick Wojton
·6 min read

The Buffalo Bills have their Ken Dorsey replacement at quarterback coach after the team promoted him to offensive coordinator. The positional coach for Josh Allen & Co. is now Joe Brady.

With that, here are nine things to know about Brady:

Once a touted coaching prospect

LSU Tigers passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Brady Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Brady ended up in Buffalo because he was removed from a job elsewhere. We’ll get to that, but prior, he was a very touted coaching prospect.

Prior to his last stop with the Carolina Panthers, Brady was the passing game coordinator at LSU. His work there made him a very coveted person in the football world for a time, which is how he ended up with the Panthers.

Has OC experience from rough Carolina patch

Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

As referenced, Brady was ousted with the Panthers just short of two seasons there. What happened? Simply put, things just weren’t going very good. It’s not all on Brady, but the results did not come.

Carolina ranked 21st in yards per game and 24th in points per game under Brady in his first season on the headset. Through his 12 games in 2021, they sat 28th in yards (308.7) and 23rd in points (19.7).

But Brady is only 32. Considering that, he has plenty of room to grow so that’s why many are excited about the Bills’ decision to hire him. And it will probably help that Brady will now be working with Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen in his new role as opposed to Sam Darnold and Cam Newton…

What was said after the fact

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule talks with assistant Joe Brady during OTAs at the Panthers Training Fields. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

For those wondering, here’s what Carolina head coach Matt Rhule had to say after his team moved on from Brady (via Panthers Wire):

“When I took the job, I just decided to be bold and step outside my comfort zone—someone that I knew, and went in a different direction with Joe,” said Rhule, who brought Brady aboard in early 2020 after his nationally acclaimed success at Louisiana State University.

“I certainly don’t look at that as a mistake,” Rhule went on. “I look at Joe’s time here and see all the good things he did. It’s just you get to a time such as this and it’s time to move in another direction and continue the evolution and the process of building forward.”

When asked to elaborate on his “comfort zone,” Rhule then referenced his lack of familiarity with Brady as both a colleague and as an offensive mind.

“Hiring someone that I didn’t have much history with. Hiring someone with a different system than I knew,” he added. “And I’m glad that I did it. Joe brought a lot to us. There’s a lot here, embedded in place, that we’re gonna continue to build off of.”

Already connected to a Super Bowl QB

LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (9)y Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The next NFL game you’ll watch will be the Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Los Angeles Rams for the Super Bowl. Brady knows the No. 1 Bengals player well.

Quarterback Joe Burrow launched himself into becoming the top-overall pick at the NFL draft thanks to his final season at LSU. That title winning campaign saw Burrow go for 16 touchdown passes to 60 in one year.

Brady was praised for his work with Burrow, which is why the coach caught the attention of the football world himself.

Any guesses as to who he’s pulling for in the big game?

Shares alma mater with McDermott

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

In his early football career, Brady took a similar path as Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott. He attended William & Mary college (2009-2012) and was a wide receiver there. McDermott played there (1994-1997) and was a safety.

After their playing careers, both took on jobs as grad assistants at the school. Aside from that, the two really weren’t too tightly connected before now.

Buffalo gets another commodity

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)

While fired from the Panthers, it’s not like the Bills were Brady’s only option in the football world. According to Bears Wire, Brady had a job interview in Chicago before he was hired in Buffalo. Panthers Wire also reported that colleges had reached out to him soon after he was let go in Carolina.

Like with Dorsey who was linked to other teams and programs, the Bills got a guy to choose them over the competition.

His GOAT? Drew Brees

Panthers Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady talks to Robby Anderson #11 . (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

You might have heard of Tom Brady, he’s some quarterback who retired this week. However, he is not Brady’s “GOAT” despite them sharing a surname. Rather, it’s someone who hung ’em up a year earlier in Drew Brees.

“He’s the best quarterback of all-time and he’s watching what we’re doing,” Brady said via the Daily Advertiser while at LSU.

Well– Brady might be a bit biased. He worked with the Saints in an assistant role prior to his time at LSU… but he still picked Brees.

Likes 'The Office'

Panthers assistant coach Joe Brady and wide receiver D.J. Moore (2) Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Onto some personal touches, Brady is a big fan of at least one very popular sitcom: “The Office.”

After the news of Brady being hired by the Bills, a few mentions of the coach talking about the show during his time in Carolina surfaced:

Baseball guy

Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady (left) and head coach Matt Rhule

Pictured above with his former boss in Rhule, they’re sitting courtside at a Charlotte Hornets basketball game. Regardless of where, front row at a NBA matchup is pretty cool.

Brady may very well be a basketball fan, but it looks like he’s more of a baseball guy. He’s got a couple of photos on social media indicating that, including one in Boston Red Sox gear, but what really tips it off? Attending minor league and college level games. He’s got a few of those shots posted as well:

(Per the picture above, Brady is also a sunglasses inside guy as well.)

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