Earlier in the week we asked Buffalo Rumblings readers who among the Buffalo Bills is under the most pressure for the 2026 season. We listed four key names in quarterback Josh Allen, president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane, head coach Joe Brady, and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
With team co-owner Terry Pegula having moved on from Sean McDermott, the clock has partially re-set. Of course, Bills Mafia is well aware that with Josh Allen, the Super Bowl window should always
be seen as open. But have expectations reset? Or is the pressure on like never before — and who holds the most on their shoulders?
Rumblers weighed in with their votes and some fantastic commentary this week. Now, it’s time to see how the votes played out.
With our polling taking place in The Feed beginning this season, you may have already figured out who leads these results. Brandon Beane takes first place here, with 46% of the vote. Beane is an “easy” choice here as the one person who’s most likely under the biggest amount of pressure to produce great results — or perhaps find himself out of a job sooner than later. It may sound a bit extreme to say such things, but the NFL is an extreme business.
Beane has a lot riding on this season after surviving McDermott’s exodus and being given a promotion. His most recent draft picks and those just one or even two classes experienced now must pay dividends on the field. If not, it may be time to look in a new direction, which, if that doesn’t involve changes with Beane, could mean new blood in the scouting department.
At the end of the day, Beane holds the most power with the on-field product as the ship’s captain. You can be sure Beane is well aware about what’s riding this season.
In second here behind Beane is Joe Brady, who received 29% of the votes. Yes, Brady is a new (and first-time) head coach. That alone might give you pause when suggesting he’s under a ton of pressure. His promotion was met with a bit of controversy, simply because it felt less like a changing of the guard and more like a reshuffling of chairs on a certain ill-fated ship.
The bottom line is that, by and large, we know what to expect from Brady’s plan and work since he was the offensive coordinator prior. Now, we have to see if he’s really the guy to accomplish the things that proved impossible for McDermott. Is Brady really under a ton of pressure in year one as head coach? It’s tough to say, but it’s reasonable to think that the clock on his tenure is a bit sped up.
In announcing Brady as the head coach, One Bills Drive have removed any of the predictable excuses that come with new outside hires. Brady is an enviable yet pressure-filled chair to begin his head-coaching career.
In third with 21% of the vote is Josh Allen. Whatever you feel about Allen’s pressure situation, you might see this result as surprising. The biggest thing working against Allen is time. No one wants to discuss it, but it’s true. Allen, if he finds career longevity, might be viewed as roughly halfway through is NFL career.
Beyond that, Allen is the face of the Buffalo Bills. Anyone old enough will tell you that without a doubt, he’s the best quarterback the franchise has ever rostered, and with an easily winnable argument as its best player overall. Allen has the hopes and dreams of Bills Mafia riding on his shoulders. He’s accomplished just about everything outside of guiding the team to an AFC Championship win and Super Bowl berth, and of course a Super Bowl win and MVP of the game.
To do all that, Allen has to once again get through the regular-season’s pressure cooker. How will he respond with Brady calling all the shots?
Closing out these results is first-time NFL defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard with a scant 4% of the vote. It’s a surprising figure in ways, but it makes sense to consider him least in this equation. He’s brand-new to the role, and his defensive philosophy will be operating on a hybrid basis thanks to a large portion of McDermott’s prior roster.
It isn’t that Leonhard and Beane will necessarily want to move on from the bulk of those guys in future seasons, but it made the most sense to build around them this season. With that, it’s possible we don’t see the full intent of Leonhard’s preferred scheme if considering the type of players he wants to highlight. Or, it’s possible that former McDermott mainstays are better players in Leonhard’s system.
All of that adds up to Leonhard being lowest in this poll simply due to a longer timetable to produce results. However, many see McDermott’s defensive failings as the real reason he was let go. It’s of course deeper than just that, but it’s true that McDermott’s defense too-often let the team down in the playoffs.
As a result, all eyes will be on Leonhard and his defense.
We also had Rumblers weigh in for the first time this season about their confidence in the Bills. Unsurprisingly, hope once again springs eternal in Bills Country. Right now, 85% of Bills Mafia voters are confident in the team’s direction.
As discussed above the changes made have people buzzing about Buffalo’s potential. The new head coach has defined success as an offensive play caller, and the defense is set to march with a far more aggressive tone under Leonhard.
All they have to do now is win it all.
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