Since the Buffalo Bills were bounced from the playoffs by the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, the winds of change have been swirling hard at One Bills Drive. The biggest shift?
Sean McDermott is out, and Joe Brady - the team’s former offensive coordinator - is now the man in charge. While promoting from within might seem like more of the same on the surface, dig a little deeper and it’s clear this is anything but business as usual in Buffalo.
Brady is putting together a coaching staff that blends fresh energy with veteran savvy. One of his first big moves?
Bringing in Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator. Carmichael, who spent years in New Orleans as Sean Payton’s right-hand man, knows Brady well from their time together with the Saints.
And when he stepped up to the mic for the first time in Buffalo this week, he made it clear: he’s fired up to be back alongside Brady - and even more fired up to be working with Josh Allen.
“All the years I was in New Orleans, when Drew Brees was there I was a good coach,” Carmichael said with a smile. “So yeah, I’m pretty excited about that.”
That’s not just coach-speak. Carmichael knows what it’s like to work with an elite quarterback who can elevate everyone around him - and he sees that same potential in Allen.
Brady will continue to call plays, but Carmichael’s role is far from passive. He emphasized the importance of being a consistent voice in the room, especially when the head coach can’t be everywhere at once.
His job? Make sure Brady’s vision is fully understood and executed - down to the smallest detail.
“If he’s not able to be in the room, the message he wants - whether it’s to the coaching staff, the team, whoever - I’m portraying the exact same message,” Carmichael said. “Whether it’s ‘How are we running this route?’ or ‘How are we blocking this scheme?’ - the communication has to be as if he was in the room saying it himself.”
One of the biggest questions hanging over the Bills this offseason is the wide receiver room - especially after the departure of Stefon Diggs. So when Carmichael was asked what he looks for in a wideout, he didn’t hesitate.
“I think each receiver brings something different to the table,” he said. “Not every guy is going to be great at every route.
Maybe one guy’s a slot specialist, another’s a vertical threat. The key is putting them in positions where they can thrive - not asking them to do things that aren’t in their wheelhouse.”
Of course, every coach wants size and speed. But for Carmichael, it’s about fit.
Scheme fit. Role fit.
Building a room where the sum is greater than the parts - and where each guy has a clear purpose in the offense.
Carmichael also touched on another key piece of the Bills’ offensive puzzle: running back James Cook III. With his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and make defenders miss in space, Cook has drawn early comparisons to Alvin Kamara - a player Carmichael helped develop into one of the league’s most dynamic weapons in New Orleans.
“I think he’s already proven he can do some of those things,” Carmichael said of Cook. “He’s pretty good - so maybe my job is just not to screw him up.” That’s said with a laugh, but there’s a serious point underneath: Carmichael knows what it takes to unlock a dual-threat back, and he sees that potential in Cook.
He added that it’s on the coaching staff to make sure Cook gets the right opportunities - not just touches, but matchups that tilt the field in Buffalo’s favor.
“Some weeks, you feel better about your matchups inside - your running backs and tight ends - versus the outside. Other weeks, it’s flipped,” Carmichael explained. “But the goal is always to make sure there’s enough in the game plan to get the ball in his hands.”
Bottom line: this isn’t a rinse-and-repeat version of the old Bills. Joe Brady is putting his stamp on this team, and with Pete Carmichael helping to steer the offense, there’s a clear vision forming in Buffalo - one rooted in adaptability, communication, and maximizing the talent already in the building.
The McDermott era may be over, but the Bills aren’t rebuilding. They’re retooling - and they’re doing it with purpose.