When Joe Brady stepped up to the mic for his first press conference as the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills, one thing became crystal clear: this team runs through Josh Allen. Not just on Sundays, not just in the red zone-but in every decision, every conversation, and every step forward this franchise takes.
Brady mentioned Allen by name eleven times in just under an hour. That’s not a coincidence.
That’s a mission statement.
“Every decision this organization makes is with the thought of Josh Allen and the players in mind. I’d be crazy not to,” Brady said, drawing a direct line from his experience in New Orleans with Drew Brees to his new role in Buffalo.
“There wasn’t a decision made without Drew Brees being thought about, talked about. Making sure you understood.”
Brady clarified that this isn’t about letting the quarterback call the shots. It’s about recognizing the weight that comes with being the face of a franchise-and building a structure that supports that.
He’s not handing Allen the keys to the front office. But he is making it clear: Allen is the centerpiece of everything the Bills are trying to build.
And that’s a notable shift from the previous regime.
Sean McDermott brought stability to Buffalo. He ended the playoff drought.
He established a culture that took the Bills from league afterthought to perennial contender. But even as Allen blossomed into one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, McDermott never fully made him the focal point.
At least not publicly. Not like this.
Brady, on the other hand, isn’t holding back.
“Josh Allen is the best player in the NFL,” he said. “And I have to grow.
Part of me growing is that’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 there. All I want is for him to get everything he deserves.”
That’s not just coach-speak. That’s a declaration of alignment.
Brady is building around Allen, not just schematically, but culturally. The quarterback isn’t just the engine of the offense-he’s the tone-setter for the entire organization.
And ownership seems to agree.
After the Bills’ crushing loss to the Broncos, team owner Terry Pegula reportedly couldn’t shake the image of Allen, emotional and gutted, at his locker and in the postgame press conference. That moment, more than any stat line or win-loss record, helped solidify the decision to move on from McDermott.
Allen, for his part, didn’t duck the responsibility. He said it himself: if he had played better, the Bills might still be chasing a Super Bowl.
That kind of accountability isn’t lost on Brady. In fact, he’s leaning into it.
“The culture starts with [the players],” Brady said, gesturing toward Allen, flanked by teammates Spencer Brown, Dalton Kincaid, and Max Hairston. “17 sets the tone of the culture. 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.”
That message resonated. Offensive lineman Alec Anderson and tight end Dalton Kincaid echoed the sentiment after the presser.
Let the players be themselves. Let the quarterback lead.
Let the locker room breathe.
It’s a new era in Buffalo-not just because of a coaching change, but because of a philosophical one. The Bills are no longer a team that just happens to have Josh Allen. They are Josh Allen’s team.
And now, with a head coach who fully embraces that reality, we’re about to see what happens when one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks is truly given the reins. Allen has always been the star. Now, he’s the sun around which everything else orbits.