Ryan Fitzpatrick reacts to Bills hiring Joe Brady as head coach

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

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

The organization was criticized by some in the football world, who believed that general manager Brandon Beane should have been removed along with McDermott. Instead, Beane received a promotion and led the charge to find the next leader on the sidelines.

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Instead of hiring from outside the building, the franchise opted to hire Joe Brady, their offensive coordinator who was on McDermott’s staff in recent seasons. Once again, a conundrum ensued: Why would the Bills hire anyone from within the organization?

Former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has been an active supporter of the Bills since his playing days ended, asked himself the same questions when he saw the hiring.

“When they acted, I was as shocked as the fans,” he told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview. “I’ve been getting text chains and stuff with my buddies in Buffalo, and everyone was asking the same question about what you just proposed. ‘We need a change. We need to deviate from the plan because we need to get over the hump.’ Well, you just hired someone who was in the building and was involved in a lot of this, at least for the last few years. »

Unlike those fans, Fitzpatrick has the ability to go straight to the source to answer his questions. First of all, it was a transparent conversation with Beane.

“So what else could I do but call Brandon Beane? And I was surprised that we were able to have a conversation and talk about 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 very different from being a head coach. As an offensive coordinator, you’re under the direction of the head coach, so you don’t get to say a lot of your opinions, on how to run an organization, all these different things. So I think through the interview process they learned a lot about Joe Brady.”

Then Fitzpatrick connected with Brady himself.

Ryan Fitzpatrick watches TNF on Prime before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on November 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

“I had a few moments to sit down and talk to him,” he said. “I might have said hello or goodbye to him, but I’d never really had a chance to talk to him before. You’ll feel it in his interviews when you watch him – there’s an authenticity to it. He’s real. The guys love playing for him, and I think that’s going to help. I think the release of that in maybe some of the biggest moments of the game, that’s something that [will be beneficial] for the Bills with him as head coach.

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

The Bills lacked star power in the passing game in 2025, although Brady was still able to plan things out for Allen as well as the league’s best runner, James Cook. Buffalo was the NFL’s best rushing attack and fourth overall in yards.

But will Brady be able to handle the whole package? Not every offensive or defensive coordinator can effectively play a broader role, but Fitzpatrick said Beane told him he didn’t want Brady to come out of the building to get that shot.

The Bills are confident they made a good hire, and Fitzpatrick feels better after talking to officials.

All that matters, though, is what Brady and the Bills are able to do in September, as their championship window with Allen closes a little closer with each passing year.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady looks on before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio on December 21, 2025. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Brady knows the fan base is hungry for at least one more Super Bowl return, not to mention their first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy.

A HAPPY ISLAND, A HAPPY FITZ

After a long football season, Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, traveled to Aruba to relax and recharge before the Super Bowl.

It has partnered with the Aruba Tourism Authority, which highlights 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 it and loved every minute of it, all while experiencing the outdoor lifestyle that Aruba, nicknamed “One Happy Island,” has to offer.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, enjoyed their stay in Aruba following the 2025 NFL season. (Aruba Tourism Authority)

“My wife and I, seven kids. So we very rarely get away. So when we go we have to make sure it’s the right place, and this one hit the spot. There are white sand beaches, there’s a resort, which is great. But there’s also adventure. I’m not one to sit on the beach and sunbathe all day. There was hiking, we swam in a natural pool, we went searching a bit of caves.

“The nice thing for my wife and I is that we feel relaxed right away. Then we come home and there’s this air of happiness and rejuvenation that we feel. That stayed with us.”