The Buffalo Bills' new head coach Joe Brady made one thing abundantly clear during his introductory press conference Thursday: It’s all about Josh Allen.
Brady stressed that his job, taking over for Sean McDermott, is to get Allen and the Bills to the next level.
“He is the leader of this organization, and the weight that he has on his shoulders is something that I can't even imagine,” Brady said. “... Josh Allen is the best player in the NFL, and I have to grow. Part of me growing is that it's going to allow him to be a better version of himself. I'm so excited to be able to continue this journey with him. I have so much love for that man right here, and all I want is for him to get everything that he deserves. I’m going to do everything I can to get him what he deserves."
Allen said he and Brady are in lock-step on how to get Buffalo to the next level.
"I looked at him the other day and he looked at me and he promised me and I promised him to hold each other to a standard and hold each other accountable and not get complacent [with] where we're at,” the star quarterback said.
General manager Brandon Beane reiterated that during the coaching search, the Bills weren’t simply looking for a play-caller or scheme but a CEO who can touch every facet. They believe they’ve found that in Brady.
"When we started this process, we were looking for a CEO-type of a head coach,” Beane said. “… What I'm talking about is a fresh new vision for the Buffalo Bills. Somebody who values strong culture, collaboration and alignment. We wanted a highly intelligent and excellent communicator. We wanted alignment. Joe Brady is all that and more."
For Brady, that alignment begins with Allen.
“Alignment doesn’t mean agreeing to everything," the coach said. 'Alignment is a shared vision for what we want and making sure we don't ever lose sight of that when we make decisions. When I say Josh Allen and the guys are always at the forefront of exactly when we make every decision, that’s alignment.”
Brady said that Allen told him he got the job on his own merit. However, it’s clear that the former offensive coordinator’s plan for the MVP QB played a pivotal role. Allen certainly had a voice in the process.
"I'm very thankful that my input, at least, is heard. Whether they used anything I had to say in their decision-making or not, it's just cool to be in that room,” Allen said of the process.
Allen has the awards, earning an NFL MVP, four Pro Bowls, two second-team All-Pro nods, numerous records, and division titles. What he doesn’t have is top-shelf postseason success. The Bills are 8-7 in the postseason with Allen under center and have been unable to get over the AFC Championship hump while losing in the Divisional Round in four of the past five years.
Brady’s tasked with taking a roster with holes heading into the 2026 offseason and getting them further than McDermott ever could. In the new coach’s mind, that starts with Allen and cascades to the rest of the roster.
"17 sets the tone of the culture,” Brady said. “The men in the locker room set the culture, regardless of who the head coach is, and it's my job to make sure that I'm allowing them to be their personality, allowing them to play to their personality because that's what the culture is. Like I said, I understand the expectations that come with this job, but it's important to understand that this is going to be a new year and that we have to start over. We don't just get to pick up where we left off and think that, hey, we're in the position that, hey, next [year] we're going to be in the conference championship game."
As he did after the Bills’ playoff loss, Allen, who had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot, took ownership of his part in the coaching change.
"I feel like I had a part in it because if I make one more play, that game in Denver, we're probably not having this press conference right now,” Allen said. “We're probably not making a change. In all honesty, we're probably getting ready to play another game.
“I'm very fortunate and thankful for coach McDermott and the trajectory that he set for our players. At that same time, I'm very [much] looking forward to Joe and everything that entails with him becoming the head coach and guys getting behind him and rallying behind him and understanding his vision because I do believe in it."
If that vision doesn’t get the Bills to a Super Bowl over the next few seasons, this will all be for naught.