The Buffalo Bills have endured a chaotic start to the offseason. After firing head coach Sean McDermott in the wake of their latest playoff failure, the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to their vacant head coach position. Now, Brady has to begin assembling his coaching staff now that he has been tabbed as McDermott’s replacement.
While he only just got hired as Buffalo’s new head coach on Tuesday, Brady already has his eyes on several intriguing options for his offensive and defensive coordinator roles. However, on Wednesday morning, Brady lost the team’s defensive coordinator from 2025, Bobby Babich, as he was scooped up by the Green Bay Packers.
Packers Hire Former Bills’ Defensive Coordinator Bobby Babich
With Brady taking over as the Bills’ head coach, it became clear right off the bat that he would be making new hires across the board to fill out his coaching staff. That left Babich’s status with the team up in the air, and with reports quickly emerging that Brady was pursuing Denver Broncos‘ defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard for his defensive coordinator role, it became clear that Babich was being shown the exit door.
Babich spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns before finding his way to Buffalo in 2017. During his time with the Bills, Babich gradually worked his way up the ranks, and he eventually ended up serving as the team’s defensive coordinator over the past two seasons. While Brady and Babich have worked together for several years, that didn’t guarantee he would be holding onto his defensive coordinator gig.
The writing was on the wall for Babich, so he began searching for a new home. The good news for him is that it did not take long for him to land elsewhere, as he ended up getting hired to join their new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s staff. With Green Bay, Babich will be working as its defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach.
“The Packers are hiring Bobby Babich as their defensive pass game coordinator/secondary, per source,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “Babich had been with the Bills since 2017, serving as defensive coordinator the past two seasons. A key hire to new DC Jonathan Gannon’s staff.”
Bills Must Find New Defensive Coordinator After Bobby Babich’s Departure
GettyBuffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady
While Babich’s departure isn’t all that surprising, it now means that Brady will have to find a new defensive coordinator. While Leonhard has already emerged as an intriguing candidate, several other teams are reportedly showing interest in him. As a result, Brady may have to pivot if Leonhard ends up landing elsewhere.
Considering how attractive the Bills are to coaches looking for work, Brady should have no trouble finding folks to join him. However, he wants to ensure that he’s bringing the right people to town so that Buffalo can finally get over the hump in 2026. Hiring Brady is a big move for the team, but who he ends up bringing in to fill out his coaching staff could be just as important as the Bills’ decision to tab him as their next head coach.
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