Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers before the game against the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Bills Strengthen Coaching Staff With Veteran Special Teams Addition

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI | By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jan 30, 2026 4:08 PM ET

The Buffalo Bills coaching staff is coming together.

New head coach Joe Brady found his new offensive coordinator on Friday, selecting Denver Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael for the job. Now, they found their special teams coordinator as well.

Buffalo will hire Jeff Rodgers, who has been the Arizona Cardinals special teams coordinator since 2018. He had assistant head coach added to his title in 2019 and was effective enough at his job that he survived two coaching changes in Arizona.

The Bills are hiring Cardinals special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers for the same role on Joe Brady’s staff, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 30, 2026

Rodgers' special teams unit set a record against Bills in 2024

Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the NFL introduced its new "dynamic kickoff," it was Rodgers and the Cardinals who recorded the first kick return for a touchdown.

They accomplished this in Week 1 against the Bills, with DeeJay Dallas fielding the ball and returning it 96 yards for the touchdown. That same season, Dallas and kicker Chad Ryland were both alternates for the Pro Bowl.

THE FIRST DYNAMIC KICKOFF RETURN TOUCHDOWN.

DEEJAY DALLAS. 96 YARDS.

: #AZvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/COYfonnYxR
— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Rodgers also has ties to Matt Prater, who kicked for the Bills in 2025. Prater spent four years in Arizona with Rodgers as his special teams coach. He connected on 86-of-101 field goals, including two kicks from 62 yards. That remains a franchise record.

Bills lost previous special teams coordinator to Miami Dolphins

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Chris Tabor was the Bills' special teams coordinator in 2025, and he had some success, especially on kick returns. Ray Davis had 943 yards and had a 97-yard touchdown while leading the league with 30.4 yards per return.

Davis earned first-team All-Pro honors while his kick return yards over expected (+8.8) was the third-highest mark since 2018, per Next Gen Stats. He also helped them stay on track despite using three different kickers and three different punters as injuries decimated the team's kickers.

Shortly after Sean McDermott was fired, Tabor was hired by the Miami Dolphins in the same role. Like Rodgers, he's widely regarded as one of the premier special teams coaches in the NFL. His loss stung, but the Bills rebounded nicely with Rodgers.