Just a couple days into his tenure as the Bills’ head coach, Joe Brady has already found his offensive coordinator. The team has agreed to terms with Pete Carmichael Jr., Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
Carmichael, who spent the past two years as a senior offensive assistant with the Broncos, has worked with Brady in the past. The two were on Sean Payton‘s staff in New Orleans from 2017-18, when Carmichael was the Saints’ offensive coordinator and Brady served as an offensive assistant.
This will be the second NFL O-coordinator job for the 54-year-old Carmichael, who held the post in New Orleans from 2009-23. Carmichael won’t call the plays in Buffalo, however, as Brady will continue handling those duties in 2026.
Brady has run the Bills’ offense since taking over for the fired Ken Dorsey midway into the 2023 season. The Bills promoted the 36-year-old to head coach on Tuesday to replace the ousted Sean McDermott.
Brady will have a lot on his plate as a rookie head coach, but the hiring of Carmichael will add a trusted and experienced voice to his offensive staff. Carmichael began his NFL career as a tight ends coach and offensive assistant in Cleveland in 2000. He went on to serve in various positions with the then-Redskins and Chargers before Payton, then a rookie HC, tabbed him as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach in 2006.
Carmichael spent the vast majority of his 18-year Saints tenure working with future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. He’ll now join a team with another superstar signal-caller in Josh Allen, who was at the helm of an offense that finished fourth in scoring and yards in 2025. The Bills also had the league’s leading rusher in James Cook, though the receiver position was a problem throughout the campaign.
Slot target Khalil Shakir was the only wideout on the team to reach the 700-yard mark during the season. He continued as the Bills’ most productive option during a two-game playoff run that ended with a 33-30 loss to Carmichael and the Broncos in the divisional round.
The Bills likely expected second-year receiver Keon Coleman, the 33rd pick in 2024, to take a step forward. Instead, though, Coleman caught just 38 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. Professionalism has been an issue for Coleman, who was a healthy scratch on four occasions in 2025.
After the firing of McDermott, owner Terry Pegula revealed “the coaching staff pushed to draft Keon.” General manager Brandon Beane then took ownership of the pick in saying it was his decision. Regardless, Coleman’s future in Buffalo seemed in doubt after Pegula publicly called him out. Now, though, it appears the soon-to-be 23-year-old will remain part of the Bills’ receiving corps next season.
“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said Thursday (via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN). “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman.”
If we’re to take Brady’s comments at face value, Coleman will be among the players he and Carmichael work with in 2026. Meanwhile, with the loss of Carmichael, Payton and the Broncos are now in position to replace multiple offensive staffers after falling one win shy of a Super Bowl. Payton fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Monday. Bills QBs coach Ronald Curry is among the candidates to become the Broncos’ OC, though it’s unclear if Brady considered him for the same job before he hired Carmichael.
Go Pete
His hiring was a bit of Carma 🙂
Waiting on Keon Coleman might be wishful thinking. You need a contingency plan. Trade or get a number #1 for J.A. All the greats over time had 1 comman denominator, a #1 WR..Get one. Stop procrastinating.
Free agency hasnt even started, im not sure how theyre procrastinating.
Since last year buddie
Should of used some magic and to get that Waddle deal done. Lol
They just drafted Keon Coleman last year? Missing on a draft pick isnt procrastinating. Waddle isnt what I’d consider a true number 1 either. Just yapping brotha
All good
Well, Carmichael’s only called plays one time that I can recall, and it did not go well; however, I don’t actually think that it was really his fault, considering how bad the Saints’ offensive roster was in 2022 and 2023…and the fact that he really, really didn’t want the play-calling job anyway.
Carmichael is universally regarded amongst his coworkers as being excellent at game planning and identifying tendencies. E we both Brady calling the plays, this might be a fantastic move for Buffalo that allow Brady to both do that and focus on other aspects of the team.
I agree. Seems he is really good at the background stuff, so given the situation, likely a strong hire. Adds a veteran coach to the offensive staff, as well.
As successful as Brees and the Saints offense had been, you wonder why Carmichael didnt get head coaching offers himself, but maybe he just liked being an assistant?
Possibly because he didn’t call the plays and everybody gave all the credit to Sean Payton.
And that’s just how Payton wanted it.
Well, it’s not like Payton isn’t responsible. People hate him, but he’s a good coach. Having Brees (who is the most underrated quarterback of the last thirty years, arguably even of all time) doesn’t negate that.
Carmichael DID call plays with Brees for one year, in 2012. It went well. Payton called the plays for the rest of the tenure. He and Carmichael and Brees all would meet to develop a gameplan and scheme, so it’s a product of all three to varying degrees.