Failed former Panthers offensive coordinator pegged as future NFL HC candidate

In the early 2020s, Joe Brady seemed like the next "it" coordinator, so the Carolina Panthers took a swing by hiring him. Paired with Matt Rhule, he was expected to revolutionize the NFL and make the Panthers a really diverse, versatile offense. That didn't happen, and he was eventually fired.

It seemed like Brady wasn't quite able to make the leap from college to the pros. He was coming off a wonderful year with Joe Burrow as the passing game coordinator, but things didn't work out in Carolina. Now, several years later, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton thinks he's one of eight coordinators in line for a head coaching job next.

His work with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills has been excellent, and it helped him get calls to be a head coach last year. He opted to stay with the Bills, a team he's been wildly successful with so far in his NFL tenure. It's a stark difference from his Carolina days.

"Brady took over play-calling duties in Buffalo after the team fired Ken Dorsey midway through the 2023 campaign. In his first full season as the Bills offensive coordinator, he fielded a unit that racked up the second-most points and ranked 10th in yards," Moton said.

Perhaps most importantly for Brady's candidacy, he helped elevate Josh Allen even further, guiding him to his first MVP. "Allen didn't post career passing or rushing numbers, but he led the league with a career-high 77.3 QBR, putting together far more efficient performances than in recent seasons," Moton said.

The analyst believes the former Panthers coordinator faces one key caveat to becoming a head coach, and it has to do with the Bills finally beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs or Allen continuing to evolve and improve under Brady's tutelage.