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Bills OC Joe Brady given strong odds to land Saints' head coaching job

One sportsbook has Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady as the favorite to land the New Orleans Saints' head coaching job in the 2025 offseason.

Kyle Silagyi

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The Buffalo Bills may soon be forced to commence yet another search for a new offensive coordinator, if one set of oddsmakers are to be believed. SportsBetting.ag recently put out its odds for the New Orleans Saints head coaching vacancy after their Monday firing of Dennis Allen, with current Buffalo offensive play-caller Joe Brady being the book’s favorite with 3/1 odds.

It’s a natural connection to draw given Brady’s history with the organization; the coordinator’s first professional job came as an offensive assistant with the Saints from 2017–2018, learning under the tutelage of long-time New Orleans (and current Denver Broncos) head coach Sean Payton. Brady left New Orleans for Baton Rouge in 2019, becoming the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach of the LSU Tigers; he would architect a unit that averaged nearly 570 yards of offense per game as the Tigers won the National Championship.

Brady parlayed his short, but successful collegiate stint into a professional play-calling gig, joining the Carolina Panthers as their offensive coordinator in the 2020 offseason. He was fired midway through his second season before joining the Bills as their quarterback coach in 2022. He ascended to interim offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 campaign following Buffalo’s midseason firing of Ken Dorsey, with the interim tag being removed this past January.

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The Bills’ offense has been generally solid through the first half of the 2024 season, ranking within the top half of the league in yards per game (335.2) and third in total points scored (260). The unit’s performance all but affirms Brady’s inclusion in next offseason’s coaching carousel; a bright, young offensive mind who has been involved in the cycle in years past, Buffalo’s offense would have to be truly putrid for Brady not to receive interviews next spring. His history with the Saints and general Lousiana football rightfully make him an early favorite for the recently-created vacancy; his hiring would also allow the team to market him as a return to the glory once brought by Payton, an intangible promise of hope that the ludicrously cash-strapped franchise is in desperate need of.

Joe Brad
Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Momentarily taking the potential landing spot out of the equation, Brady leaving for a head coaching gig this offseason could be particularly problematic for Buffalo given its lack of a clear succession plan. Knowing the realities that come with fielding a productive NFL offense, the Bills have long positioned themselves well for their coordinators being poached; Brady was the obvious succession plan after Dorsey, just as Dorsey was the obvious succession plan after long-time coordinator Brain Daboll. There’s not an obvious choice to succeed Brady, if need be, currently on the Bills’ coaching staff; long-tenured tight ends coach Rob Boras and recently hired quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry are potential options, but neither are slam dunk picks. This would mean Buffalo would likely be forced to look outside the organization for a new offensive architect, meaning that Josh Allen and co. would have to learn yet another new system.

Next year’s head coaching cycle is, fortunately, a ways off, and circumstances can change significantly before the carousel starts back up. That said, the links between Brady and New Orleans will certainly be something to keep in mind come next spring.

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Kyle Silagyi
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