2026 Buffalo Bills season
| 2026 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Terry and Kim Pegula |
| General manager | Brandon Beane |
| Head coach | Joe Brady |
| Home stadium | Highmark Stadium |
| Uniform | |
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The 2026 season will be the Buffalo Bills' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their 67th overall, their 12th full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, their tenth under GM Brandon Beane and their first under head coach Joe Brady. This will be their first season since 2016 without longtime head coach Sean McDermott, as he was fired on January 19, 2026, following their defeat in the Divisional round of the 2025 season on January 17th.[1][2] The Bills will seek to improve upon their 12–5 record from the previous season, reclaim the AFC East title, and achieve their eighth straight winning season.
It is expected to be the Bills' first season playing their home games at Highmark Stadium, replacing the old previous stadium, also named Highmark Stadium, which will be demolished following the season.[3]
Offseason
Coaching changes
Following their defeat in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, the Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott.[4][5]
On January 27, 2026, the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to be the team’s replacement for Sean McDermott. He signed a 5-year deal to become the team's head coach. Brady previously spent the past two full seasons as the Bills' offensive coordinator under McDermott. He took the OC position on an interim basis in November 2023, after being hired as the team's quarterbacks coach in 2022.[6][7]
| Position | Name | Reason | 2026 Replacement | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Sean McDermott | Fired | Joe Brady | January 19 | [8] |
| Cornerbacks coach | Jahmile Addae | Accepted job with Miami Dolphins | Jay Valai | January 29 | [9] |
| Defensive coordinator | Bobby Babich | Accepted job with Green Bay Packers | Jim Leonhard | January 28 | [10] |
| Defensive line coach | Marcus West | Accepted job with Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Terrance Jamison | January 29 | [11] |
| Defensive quality control coach/Offensive advisor | Christian Taylor | Accepted job with Wyoming Cowboys | Craig Robertson | December 19[a] | [12] |
| Inside linebackers coach | position created | John Egorugwu | February 2 | [13] | |
| Nickel cornerbacks coach | Mike Pellegrino | Accepted job with Philadelphia Eagles | position abolished | February 13 | [14] |
| Offensive coordinator | Joe Brady | Promoted to head coach | Pete Carmichael Jr. | January 27 | [15] |
| Outside linebackers coach | position created | Bobby April III | February 1 | [16] | |
| Offensive line coach | Aaron Kromer | Retired | Pat Meyer | January 18 | [17] |
| Quarterbacks coach | Ronald Curry | Fired | Bo Hardegree | February 3 | [18] |
| Senior assistant | position created | John Fox | February 13 | [19] | |
| Senior defensive assistant | Ryan Nielsen | Accepted job with Minnesota Vikings | Jason Rebrovich[b] | January 31 | [20] |
| Special teams coordinator | Chris Tabor | Accepted job with Miami Dolphins | Jeff Rodgers | January 23 | [21] |
| Wide receivers coach | Adam Henry | Accepted job with Pittsburgh Steelers | Drew Terrell | January 28 | [22] |
Roster changes
Arrivals
| Position | Player | 2025 team(s) | Date signed |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | Maddux Trujillo | Indianapolis Colts | January 6, 2026[23] |
| WR | Jalen Virgil | Arizona Cardinals | February 10, 2026[24] |
Departures
| Position | Player | 2026 team | Date signed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB/KR | Brandon Codrington | Houston Texans | February 5, 2026[25] | Contracts expired January 26, 2026 |
| DE | Matthew Judon | — | Free Agent | |
| DE | Shaq Lawson | — | Free Agent | |
| WR | Kristian Wilkerson | — | Free Agent | |
| K | Matthew Wright | — | Free Agent |
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | |||
| 2 | 60 | |||
| 3 | 91 | |||
| 4 | TBD | |||
| 5 | TBD | |||
| 6 | TBD | |||
| 7 | TBD |
Notes
- Exact numbers of the selections from rounds 4–7 will be determined when compensatory selections are awarded at the NFL's annual spring owners' meetings.
Staff
|
→ Coaching staff | |||||
Current roster
Preseason
The Bills' preseason opponents and schedule will be announced in the spring.
Regular season
2026 opponents
Listed below are the Bills' opponents for 2026. Exact dates and times will be announced in the spring.[26]
| Category | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Division opponents (AFC East) |
Miami Dolphins New England Patriots New York Jets | |
| Conference opponents (AFC West) |
Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers |
Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders |
| Conference opponents (based on 2025 division placement) |
Baltimore Ravens | Houston Texans |
| Interconference opponents (NFC North) |
Chicago Bears Detroit Lions |
Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings |
| Interconference opponent (based on 2025 division placement) |
N/a | Los Angeles Rams |
References
- ^ "Source - Bills fire coach Sean McDermott". ESPN.com. 2026-01-19. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills announce Sean McDermott has been relieved of his duties as head coach". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ^ Licciardi, Anthony (February 24, 2024). "Bills Reveal Key Details for New Highmark Stadium: 'Loud And Intimidating'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "Source - Bills fire coach Sean McDermott". ESPN.com. 2026-01-19. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills announce Sean McDermott has been relieved of his duties as head coach". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ^ Lasting, Dante (February 4, 2022). "Bills hire Joe Brady as quarterbacks coach". Buffalo Bills. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^ Skurski, Jay (November 14, 2023). "Bills fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in major shakeup". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills announce Sean McDermott has been relieved of his duties as head coach". www.buffalobills.com. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ^ Oliva, Mike (January 29, 2026). "Dolphins hire Bills CB coach Jahmile Addae for same role". dolphinstalk.com. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ Kruse, Zach. "Packers hiring former Bills DC Bobby Babich as pass game coordinator". packerswire.usatoday.com.
- ^ Stroud, Rick (January 29, 2026). "Bucs fill 4 openings on their coaching staff, 3 under OC Zac Robinson". Tampabay.com. Times Publishing Company. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
- ^ "Christian Taylor named Wyoming football's offensive coordinator". wyomingnews.com. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ^ Benton, Dan. "Buffalo Bills hiring New York Giants inside LB coach John Egorugwu". giantswire.com. Giants Wire. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^ McMullen, John (February 13, 2026). "Eagles Set To Hire Mike Pellegrino As A Defensive Backs Coach". Si.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ Getzenberg, Alaina (January 27, 2026). "Bills promote OC Joe Brady to head coach on 5-year deal". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ^ Callaghan-Croley, Dylan (February 1, 2026). "Minnesota Rush Ends coach Bobby April hired by Buffalo Bills". on3.com. Gophers Nation. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Reed, Josh (January 18, 2026). "Respected Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is retiring". WIVB.com. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- ^ Simmons, Myles (February 3, 2026). "Report: Bo Hardegree to join Bills as QBs coach". nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ Comeaux, Jonathan (February 13, 2026). "Bills Officially Hire 20 Assistants To Coaching Staff". NFL Trade Rumors. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ Bretl, Paul (January 31, 2026). "Former Jaguars' coordinator reportedly lands on Vikings coaching staff". Jagswire.com. USA Today. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ Thames, Alanis (January 23, 2026). "Dolphins hire Atlanta's Kyle Smith as assistant GM and Buffalo's Chris Tabor to lead special teams". AP.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ Popejoy, Curt (January 28, 2026). "Steelers hire Bills WRs coach Adam Henry". steelerswire.usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ "Bills' Maddux Trujillo: Lands with Buffalo". CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. January 6, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- ^ "Bills' Jalen Virgil: Headed to Buffalo". CBS Sports. CBS Interactive. February 10, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Wilson, Aaron (February 5, 2026). "Sources: Texans sign former Bills, Jets defensive back, return specialist Brandon Codrington". click2houston.com. Graham Media. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
- ^ "2026 NFL season: Team-by-team opponents for every game". NFL.com. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
