Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bills fans and fans across the country.
The Buffalo Bills have entered a new era under new, first-time, head coach Joe Brady. New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard also joins Brady as a first time DC in the NFL. that, alone, changes the dynamics at One Bills Drive, ramping up pressure in ways the organization hasn’t seen in nearly a decade. It’s reasonable to expect a regression in year one following Sean McDermott’s dismissal. As a head coach, he ran a tight and successful regular-season ship where playoffs were expected, essentially automatic each season.
But it was time for a change, as co-owner Terry Pegula explained. At least in terms of coaching.
Quarterback Josh Allen and newly promoted president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane remain, of course, which allows for consistency within some of the most important realms. Allen’s still searching for his first AFC Championship win and Super Bowl appearance (though surely more). It’s true that Beane’s track record isn’t spotless, and many of the roster moves made have played a key role in Buffalo’s premature end during Allen’s tenure.
But expecting perfection out of anyone is foolish. That includes Allen, who — fair or otherwise — carries a mountain of weight related to the team’s past shortcomings. Beyond the team, there’s the fan base. It’s a dedicated group unlike any other in American professional sports, and perhaps the one group most deserving of a championship title.
It also includes Beane, who cannot control injuries, on-field chemistry, and, ultimately, future ability. Beane simply finds what he and his team observe to be the best people at the right price for the Bills. But is he without fault when things go wrong?
They say that hope springs eternal every fall, but it’s also true that beyond hope lies a massive amount of pressure for Beane, for Allen, for Brady, and even Leonhard. Many will point to the playoff losses and lay primary blame on the defense in almost every situation. Winning and losing is more nuanced than a simple explanation like that, but the point remains that Leonhard enters One Bills Drive with some a lot of pressure. If nothing else, the kind of pressure to improve a unit that disappeared too often in big moments under McDermott.
Then there’s Brady, whose hire/promotion many balked at simply because it felt like an incomplete overhaul. But how do you part ways with the guy in charge of the league-leading rushing attack who also made the best wide receiver tar tar possible out of something akin to pothole filler? As such, Brady’s still here and the guy Pegula and Beane believe accomplishes what McDermott couldn’t do. You know, the guy they let go who stands behind only Marv Levy as the Bills’ all-time winningest coach. No pressure, Joe!
Then there’s Allen, whose career shot clock is beginning to age. Everyone hopes Allen can play into his 40s, and at a high level with the Bills, but nothing is guaranteed. Buffalo has already wasted a lot of Allen’s window, which essentially amounts to the first half of his career in a perfect world.
You may look at this season as Josh Allen 2.0, where he ascends to new heights of greatness. But all that’s left for Allen to claim is that AFCC win, a Super Bowl appearance/win, and a Super Bowl MVP award. He’s done everything else and resets the team’s record books almost every week of the season. You can imagine the pressure he feels to begin chipping away at that small NFL bucket list.
To be clear, Allen, Beane, Brady, and Leonhard will all feel plenty of pressure this season. No one carries it alone. Yet who among the four is under the most pressure to succeed during the 2026 NFL season?
Vote now! Plus, be sure to vote in our first confidence poll of the 2026 season!
