The Buffalo Bills are heading into 2026 with one of the league’s best offenses and a schedule that doesn’t exactly hand out favors. They’ll see plenty of elite talent on the field, but the sideline matchups aren’t soft either. Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Campbell, Mike Vrabel, Sean Payton, Matt LaFleur, and Sean McVay are all on the Bills’ slate.
Still, there are a few coaching matchups Buffalo should feel better about than others. It’s a short list, though, because there just aren’t many obvious weak spots among the coaches the Bills will face.
The one that stands out most is Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets. The Jets were terrible in 2025, and an already thin roster got even worse because of injuries.
Glenn didn’t help matters much, either, and at times he was saying things that didn’t sound quite right in the moment. Things got so rough that there was real thought he might not be back.
He is back, but the Jets are expected to be one of the league’s worst teams again. If he can’t get that group moving in the right direction, it could be the last time he’s on the Jets sideline.
Next up is Jeff Hafley and the Miami Dolphins. Like Kubiak, Hafley is tough to pin down because this is his first stint in the role.
He previously worked as the defensive coordinator under LaFleur with the Packers, and now he steps into one of the least talented situations in the league. That makes this first season a tricky measuring stick.
If he can coax something resembling decent football out of that roster, though, it will say plenty about him right away.
Klint Kubiak with the Las Vegas Raiders is another first-year coach, and he’s really more of an unknown than a proven weak link. He was a brilliant play-caller with the Seattle Seahawks last season and was one of the top coordinators available.
Now he inherits more talent with the Raiders than the franchise has had in a few years. If he can push them close to the playoffs, it would be an impressive debut.
That’s really the point: it was a stretch just to find three coaches who fit this kind of list. The Bills are going to spend most of 2026 facing experienced, respected sideline leaders. Their defense will be tested to show it’s better than it was a season ago, and Buffalo will have to earn everything it gets.
Joe Brady also has a chance to prove he belongs in that same conversation with the league’s top coaches. If he does, it could help the Bills finally take the next step and get over the Super Bowl hump.
In Other News...
Bills Rookie Suddenly Feels Important In Buffalos New Defense
The Bills are in the middle of a defensive reset under coordinator Jim Leonhard, moving from an even-front look to an odd-front scheme, and that kind of change tends to create opportunity for young players who can process quickly. One of the early names to emerge is rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr, a fourth-round pick in 2026 who has already drawn notice in offseason work for the way he handles the mental side of the game and moves around the field.
Elarms-Orr is still fighting for his place in a crowded linebacker room, with roster spots and snaps far from settled as Buffalo sorts out its new front. But the path is there if he keeps stacking good days, especially with the Bills needing answers behind the established options and a rookie who can absorb the scheme quickly suddenly looking a lot more relevant than a typical late-spring depth piece. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Best Offseason Move Was Keeping Connor McGovern Home
The Bills spent part of their offseason reworking the roster after coaching changes, but one of Brandon Beanes quietest wins was keeping Connor McGovern in Buffalo. The center was rewarded with a four-year, $52 million deal with $32 million guaranteed, a move that locked in a player who had become a stabilizing presence in the middle of the offensive line and earned a Pro Bowl invite in 2024.
What makes the deal stand out is that McGovern could have chased a richer market elsewhere, yet chose to stay put on a hometown-friendly number. For a team trying to maintain continuity up front while reshaping other parts of the roster, that kind of commitment matters, and it gives Buffalo a little more certainty at a spot where stability is never a bad thing. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Linked To Veteran Fix For Lingering Run Defense Problem
Buffalos run defense was a sore spot last season, and the offseason did not bring a major overhaul up front even with the switch to a 3-4 look. The Bills did make some limited additions along the defensive line, but the middle of the defense still looks like an area where more help could make sense as the team tries to firm up a problem that lingered for too long.
One idea floated in a recent trade proposal would send a veteran defensive lineman from Baltimore to Buffalo, giving the Bills another body with experience in the middle and some insurance as Deone Walker settles into the nose tackle role in his second season. The suggested move would not be a blockbuster, but it would give Buffalo a sturdier run-defense option and a little more flexibility if the current plan needs reinforcement. [Read more 🡒]