The Buffalo Bills are entering a new chapter as they prepare for the 2026 season, and it's shaping up to be an intriguing ride. With Joe Brady stepping up from offensive coordinator to head coach, the Bills have ushered in a fresh wave of leadership, bringing Pete Carmichael Jr. and Jim Leonhard on board as the new offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively.
Both come from the Denver Broncos, adding an interesting twist to the coaching dynamics. While Carmichael will handle the offensive coordinator duties, it’s Brady who will be calling the shots on game day.
Leonhard, on the other hand, will have the reins of the defense, setting the stage for an exciting new era at One Bills Drive.
But the Bills aren't the only team undergoing transformations this offseason. Across the league, a slew of new coordinators are stepping into the spotlight, and the Bills are poised to challenge four of these fresh faces in 2026, potentially making their debut seasons a baptism by fire.
First up is Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Previously with the Chicago Bears, Doyle is now tasked with calling plays under head coach Jesse Minter.
The big question is whether Doyle can bring a bit of that Sean Payton/Ben Johnson magic to the Ravens’ offense. Bills fans will get to see Doyle's approach firsthand in Week 8, when the Ravens visit Orchard Park.
Next, we have Davis Webb, the new offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos. A familiar face in Buffalo, Webb was once in the running for the Bills' head coaching position.
Now, he's charged with injecting some speed into the Broncos' offensive play. With Jim Leonhard leading Buffalo’s defense, there’s an added layer of intrigue as Webb faces his former team in what promises to be a compelling matchup.
Drew Petzing takes the helm as the Lions' offensive coordinator, having previously called plays for the Arizona Cardinals. Petzing’s challenge is to revitalize a Lions offense that struggled last season. The Bills’ defense will be ready to test Petzing’s strategies when the Lions come to Buffalo in Week 2 for the debut of the revamped Highmark Stadium.
Finally, there's Chris O’Leary, who steps in as the defensive coordinator for the Chargers. O’Leary returns to the NFL after a stint at Western Michigan, bringing his defensive expertise back to LA. With the departure of Jesse Minter, O’Leary has big shoes to fill, and the Bills' potent offense will provide a formidable test in Week 3.
As the Bills gear up for these encounters, the stage is set for a season of strategic showdowns. With new coordinators across the board, each matchup offers a unique challenge, and the Bills are ready to make their mark in the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Bills New Era Just Raised The Stakes Around Josh Allen
The Bills are heading toward training camp with a familiar face steering the ship, and theres already a sense that Josh Allens next chapter will be shaped as much by continuity as by change. Joe Brady has now navigated a full offseason in charge, from his first draft to OTAs and minicamp, giving Buffalo time to settle into the new routine before the real evaluations begin.
For a team that has spent the past few years living on the edge of contention, the coaching transition has not lowered expectations one bit. Analysts still see the Bills as a club built to stay in the mix for the next several seasons, and the way Brady has assembled his staff and handled the early months will only sharpen the scrutiny once camp opens. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Were Somehow A Split Second From NFL History Against Baltimore
A bizarre bit of NFL trivia nearly turned into Bills-Ravens history in a 2023 Week 1 matchup, when Buffalo came a split second from being part of the leagues first one-point safety. It is one of the rarest scoring plays in football, available only on a two-point conversion try, and even though the rule opened the door in 2015, the league still has never seen it happen.
Buffalos scare came on a two-point attempt that stayed alive long enough to create the kind of chaos most teams never see, with the defense momentarily in a spot where one wrong step would have handed the Bills a single point. Instead, the play ended with Baltimore escaping the end zone area and the oddest scoring sequence in NFL history still sitting untouched. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Still Have One Flaw That Could Haunt Them In January
Buffalo spent the offseason patching holes on both sides of the ball, and on paper the roster looks deeper and more balanced than it did a year ago. The defensive front has more help, the offense has more options, and there is a real sense that the Bills have tried to make life easier on everybody else by strengthening the pieces around them.
Still, one area remains a little less settled than the rest. The linebacker group is built around Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams and rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr, but there is still a clear need for the group to prove it can hold up week after week. If the front does its part, the linebackers may only have to be solid. If not, it could become the sort of midseason issue Buffalo can live with in October and regret when the games tighten in January. [Read more 🡒]