Joe Brady’s First Move as Bills Head Coach: Bringing Back a Familiar Face to Lead the Offensive Line
Joe Brady didn’t waste any time putting his stamp on the Buffalo Bills. Just hours after being introduced as the team’s new head coach, and with Josh Allen making his first public appearance since the heartbreaking end to the 2025 season, Brady made his first official hire - and it’s someone he knows well.
The Bills are bringing back Pat Meyer as their offensive line coach, per NFL insider reports. Meyer returns to Buffalo after nearly a decade, having previously served as an offensive assistant with the team in 2015 and 2016. Most recently, he spent four seasons coaching the offensive line in Pittsburgh, and now he’s tasked with keeping one of the AFC’s top offensive fronts playing at a high level - and maybe even raising the bar.
Meyer’s Pittsburgh Resume: A Mixed Bag, But With Context
Now, depending on who you ask in Pittsburgh, Meyer’s tenure with the Steelers might not earn rave reviews. But the full picture tells a more nuanced story.
When Meyer arrived in 2022, the Steelers’ offensive line was in rough shape. The unit had allowed 38 sacks the previous season and ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing.
It was a group in desperate need of a rebuild - and that’s exactly what happened. Through a combination of draft picks and free agency, Pittsburgh overhauled its offensive line.
In fact, not a single starter from the 2021 unit remained by the time Meyer wrapped up his stint.
And the youth movement started to pay off. Broderick Jones, before his season-ending injury, was coming into his own as the starting left tackle.
On the right side, first-round pick Troy Fautanu looked like a future cornerstone, even after missing most of his rookie year. Zach Frazier emerged as one of the most promising young centers in the league, and Mason McCormick - a gritty mid-round pick - brought toughness and tradition to the guard spot, proudly wearing the storied No. 66 in Pittsburgh.
All of that development happened under Meyer’s watch. That’s not nothing.
Still, the results weren’t always ideal. The Steelers never cracked the top 10 in rushing offense during Meyer’s tenure, and the sack numbers hovered around 40 per season - including 49 in 2024.
Even in 2025, when Aaron Rodgers was sacked just 31 times, the protection wasn’t as solid as it looked on paper. Rodgers, at 42, was simply getting the ball out faster than almost anyone else in the league.
The pressure was still there - he just knew how to handle it.
What Meyer Brings to Buffalo
In Buffalo, Meyer steps into a much different situation. This isn’t a rebuild. The Bills already have a strong offensive line - one that’s protected Josh Allen well in recent years and helped power a dynamic run game with James Cook.
The key now is continuity and refinement.
If the Bills manage to re-sign center Connor McGovern and left guard David Andrews this offseason, Meyer will inherit a line that’s already close to elite. At tackle, the Bills are set with two of the league’s best bookends. And at right guard, O’Cyrus Torrence continues to be one of the more underrated maulers in the league - a player who brings both physicality and consistency to the interior.
That said, Meyer’s job won’t be without pressure. He’s following in the footsteps of Aaron Kromer, who helped build this offensive line into one of the best in the league.
Under Kromer, the Bills became known for a unit that could protect Allen and open lanes for the run game. While the group did take a step back in pass protection in 2025, the foundation remains strong.
That’s where Meyer comes in. His primary task?
Keep Josh Allen upright. The Bills’ quarterback is the centerpiece of everything Buffalo wants to do offensively, and protecting him better in 2026 is priority No.
- If Meyer can do that - if he can elevate this line from good to great - he’ll earn a whole lot more appreciation in Buffalo than he ever did in Pittsburgh.
And for a head coach in Joe Brady who’s looking to hit the ground running, bringing in someone with familiarity and proven developmental chops is a smart first move. The Bills aren’t starting over - they’re trying to take that final step. Meyer’s hire is about building on what’s already there and pushing it to the next level.
Now it’s time to see if that next level includes a deeper playoff run - and maybe more.