Ken Dorsey has found his replacement.
According to a report Wednesday from NFL Network, the Buffalo Bills are expected to hire former Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their quarterbacks coach. That job opened when Dorsey was promoted to offensive coordinator Tuesday following Brian Daboll's departure last week to become head coach of the New York Giants.
Brady is an intriguing hire by the Bills.
During the 2019 season, he served as the wide receivers coach and passing-game coordinator at LSU, helping quarterback Joe Burrow and Co. to a 15-0 record on the way to a national championship. That Tigers team has received wide-spread recognition as the greatest college football team of all time, and with Burrow throwing to Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall Jr. and Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the backfield, it's easy to see why. Brady won the Broyles Award, which is given annually to the top assistant coach in college football.
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He was then hired by Matt Rhule to serve as the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator, calling plays at the NFL level at just 30 years old.
Brady's first season in Carolina ended with the Panthers finishing 21st in total yards per game (349.5) and 24th in points per game (24.9). Even though those numbers don't jump off the page, Brady interviewed for head-coaching jobs with the Chargers, Falcons, Texans and Jets early in 2021. He didn't land any of those jobs, though, and was back with the Panthers for the 2021 season.
Carolina got off to a 3-0 start this past season, but things quickly went downhill from there. The Panthers lost seven of their next nine games, and Brady was fired in December during the team's bye week. At the time he was fired, the Panthers ranked 28th in total offense and passing offense.
“Joe’s an unbelievable person, excellent young coach and a consummate professional," Rhule told reporters in Carolina when asked about the decision to fire Brady with five games remaining in the season. "He shook my hand, thanked me. Ended with a hug, and I wished him the best. Very grateful for his time here. He’s done a lot to get us moving in the right direction. But this was something that I felt like, from a football perspective, we needed to do now.”
Although Rhule and Brady share an agent, they had not previously worked together. Rhule described hiring Brady as being bold and stepping outside of his comfort zone.
"I certainly don’t look at that as a mistake," he said in December. "What Joe did the first year, dealing with Covid and installing a whole new system, obviously we’ve had some turnover at the quarterback position. I look at Joe’s time here, I see all the good things that he did. I think Joe’s gonna have a fantastic career. Sometimes the worst things that happen to you are the best. I’m grateful for his time here. He’s done a lot at a young age. He’s got a lot more to do, and he’ll do a lot of great things.”
One of the main disagreements between Rhule and Brady, according to reports from Carolina at the time, was the offensive coordinator's unwillingness to run the ball. Rhule reportedly believed his team should have at least 33 rushing attempts per game, but the Panthers hit that number just twice in the nine games following their 3-0 start.
Carolina's results after Brady was fired would suggest he wasn't the only one to blame for the team's struggles. The Panthers averaged 19.7 points per game under Brady. After he was let go, they went 0-5 and managed a meager 13.6 points per game.
Joining the Bills gives Brady a chance to work with what has been under Daboll one of the best offenses in the NFL the past two seasons. Buffalo has finished in the top five over that time in both yards gained and total points. Promoting Dorsey, who received a strong recommendation from quarterback Josh Allen, provides some level of continuity, although he'll be calling plays for the first time in his coaching career. Brady will work closely with Allen, who has established himself as one of the league's brightest young stars.
Brady played wide receiver at William & Mary from 2009-12 -- the same school Bills coach Sean McDermott attended -- and got his coaching start the next year. He joined head coach Jimmye Laycock's staff as the linebackers coach in 2013.
