Why Ryan Fitzpatrick likes Bills' Joe Brady hire despite being 'as shocked as the fans' by new coaching move

The NFL head coach carousel came to an end over the weekend, as every team across the league now has a man leading the way into the 2026 season.

There were some surprises, though, among them the Buffalo Bills, a team that fired head coach Sean McDermott after falling to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round last month.

The organization came under fire from some in the football world, who believed general manager Brandon Beane should've been axed with McDermott. Instead, Beane received a promotion and led the charge on finding the next leader on the sideline.

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Instead of hiring outside the building, the franchise went with Joe Brady, their offensive coordinator who was on McDermott's staff for the past few seasons. Once again, the head scratching ensued — why would the Bills hire someone within the organization?

Former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who actively roots for the Bills since his playing days came to an end, had the same questions when he saw the hire.

"When they made the move, I was as shocked as the fans," he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I got text chains and stuff with my buddies in Buffalo, and everybody was having the same question of kinda what you just proposed. ‘We need change. We have to deviate from the plan because we have to get over the hump.’ Well, you just hired somebody that was in the building and a part of a lot of this, at leas the last few years."

Unlike those fans, Fitzpatrick has the avenues to go straight to the source to answer his questions. First, it was a transparent chat with Beane.

"So, what else could I do but call Brandon Beane? And I was surprised we got to have a conversation and just talk through it," he said. "I asked him a lot of questions and his biggest thing was, ‘Look, I was blown away by Joe, too.’ Because when you’re an offensive coordinator, it’s a lot different than being a head coach. As an offensive coordinator, you’re under the head coach, so you don’t get to say a lot of your opinions, how to run an organization, all these different things. So, I think in the interview process, they learned a lot about Joe Brady."

Then, Fitzpatrick got connected with Brady himself.

"I had a few moments to sit down and talk to him," he explained. "I had maybe said hi or bye to him, but never really got a chance to talk to him before. You’re going to feel it in his interviews when you watch him — there’s an authenticity there. He’s real. The guys love playing for him, and I think that’s going to help. I think just the looseness of that in maybe some of the game’s biggest moments, that’s something that [will be beneficial] for the Bills with him as the head coach."

Since taking over as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, which came during the 2024 season, the team ranked second and fourth in points across the league, respectively. Brady was in Josh Allen’s helmet in 2024 when he won his first career MVP, getting creative with one of the best signal callers in the league. 

The Bills lacked star power in the pass game in 2025, though Brady was still able to scheme things up for Allen as well as the league’s leading rusher, James Cook. Buffalo was the best rushing offense in the NFL, and fourth overall in yards. 

But will Brady be able to handle the entire package? Not all offensive or defensive coordinators can translate to the larger role effectively, but Fitzpatrick said Beane told him he didn’t want Brady out of the building getting that shot. 

The Bills are confident they got the hire right, and Fitzpatrick feels better about it having talked to the men in charge. 

All that matters, though, is what Brady and the Bills are able to do come September, as their championship window with Allen shuts a little bit more by the year. 

Brady knows the fan base is hungry for at least another trip back to the Super Bowl, let alone their first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

ONE HAPPY ISLAND, ONE HAPPY FITZ

After a long football season, Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, visited Aruba for some well-earned relaxation to reset and recharge before the Super Bowl.

He partnered with the Aruba Tourism Authority, which showcases the island’s commitment to responsible tourism, which includes protecting the island’s natural environment, celebrating local culture and inviting guests to travel mindfully through the Aruba Promise and Guest Guidelines.

Fitzpatrick did that and loved every minute of it, as he experienced the outdoor lifestyle that Aruba, nicknamed "One Happy Island," has to offer.

"My wife and I — seven kids. So, we very rarely get away. So, when we get away, we gotta make sure it’s the right spot, and this one hit. It has the white-sand beaches, it has the resort, which is great. But it also has the adventure. I’m not a guy that likes to just sit on the beach and get the tan all day long. There was hiking, we were swimming in a natural pool, we went and searched some caves a little bit.

"The great thing for my wife and I, right away you feel relaxed. Then, we come home and there is this air of happiness and rejuvenation that we’re feeling. It stayed with us."

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