Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady, promoted from offensive coordinator after the team fired Sean McDermott, described hearing the news of the longtime coach's dismissal as "devastating."
"I was broken," Brady said on the "SHOUT!" podcast this week. "I was broken for a guy that I worked for. I was also broken for the rest of the coaching staff that is sitting there, like, we're all out of jobs right now. There was a lot of emotion going on."
Brady added that he didn't consider himself a candidate to take over for McDermott and had multiple head-coaching interviews with other teams during this offseason's coaching cycle.
"It also dawned on me that the only thing I won't be is the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills," Brady said. "I'm only in Buffalo because of Sean and the opportunities that he gave me."
The Bills fired McDermott just days after losing 33-30 in overtime to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. Star quarterback Josh Allen totaled 349 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, but he turned the ball over four times, including a crucial fumble that led to a Broncos field goal before halftime.
McDermott compiled a 98-50 record in 148 regular-season games with the Bills but failed to reach a Super Bowl during his nine-year tenure. However, the 52-year-old consistently produced strong defenses, as Buffalo ranks first in yards allowed and third in points surrendered since 2017, according to TruMedia.
The Bills promoted Brady to offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season after firing Ken Dorsey. Under Brady, the offense has ranked second in points per contest over the last two campaigns.
"Joe is a very talented coach, he's a very talented play-caller," McDermott told NFL Network in April. "What I saw in Joe in the four seasons he was with us - he's going to do a good job. I hope he knows that I'm always here if he needs anything."
Brady will make his head-coaching debut when the Bills open their season against the Houston Texans on Sept. 13.
