- Joe Brady's Bills have been near-unstoppable: Since taking over as Buffalo’s playcaller after Ken Dorsey’s firing in mid-November 2023, the Bills have posted the NFL’s highest EPA per pass (0.228) and the second-highest EPA per rush (0.089).
- Jesse Minter has made the leap: In 2024, working with a largely inherited roster, Minter’s defense impressed. The Chargers ranked fifth in EPA allowed per pass (-0.037) and posted the fifth-best team coverage grade (78.3). They also finished 12th in EPA allowed per rush (-0.124) and sixth in team run-defense grade (74.6).
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JOE BRADY, BUFFALO BILLS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
We’ve been talking about Joe Brady for a long time — seven years, to be exact.
That’s when he was the pass game coordinator at LSU, helping Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and company rewrite the record books en route to a national championship. Though Brady wasn’t even the offensive coordinator calling plays for the Tigers in 2019, he was already being hyped as the next great NFL coach, both as a coordinator and a potential head coach.
The following season, he joined Matt Rhule’s staff in Carolina as offensive coordinator, but that pairing didn’t work out for either man. Brady eventually landed in Buffalo, first as quarterbacks coach and now as offensive coordinator.
Maybe we were jumping the gun back in 2019, but now Brady seems ready to step fully into the spotlight. During the last head-coaching cycle, he interviewed with the Bears, Saints and Jaguars — and for good reason. Since taking over as Buffalo’s playcaller after Ken Dorsey’s firing in mid-November 2023, the Bills have posted the NFL’s highest EPA per pass (0.228) and the second-highest EPA per rush (0.089). With Josh Allen locked in, an intact offensive line and a potentially upgraded receiver room, Brady’s offense is primed to keep rolling, and his stock as a future head coach has never been higher.
NFL offenses: EPA per play since Week 11 of the 2023 season (postseason included)
| Team | EPA per play |
| Baltimore Ravens | 0.152 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0.138 |
| Detroit Lions | 0.136 |
| Green Bay Packers | 0.099 |
BRIAN FLORES, MINNESOTA VIKINGS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Since 2023, Flores has been the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, and his impact has been undeniable. In 2024, Minnesota’s defense ranked top 10 in total pressures (358), with heat coming from all angles and positions in Flores’ trademark aggressive scheme. They finished fourth in points allowed per game (19.9) and third in total EPA allowed per play. Efficient, productive and relentless, Flores’ defense was a driving force behind the Vikings’ success in the win-loss column last season.
KLIFF KINGSBURY, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
As an offensive coordinator, success with a talented quarterback almost always sparks buzz about future head coaching opportunities. For Kliff Kingsbury, he’s already been there once. His stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals wasn’t a disaster, but it fell short of expectations. After spending 2023 as a senior offensive assistant at USC, Kingsbury joined Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington in 2024, and the results were immediate.
Under Kingsbury’s guidance, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels looked as confident as any first-year passer, leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game and earning PFF’s Rookie of the Year honors. The Commanders finished top five in both EPA per pass (0.181) and total PFF passing grade (88.3) in 2024.
If Kingsbury can replicate that success and continue staying a step ahead of opposing defenses, Washington’s offense will remain in the spotlight, and Kingsbury’s name will re-emerge in head coaching conversations.
CHIP KELLY, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Most fans know Kelly’s path to the NFL. He turned Oregon into a college football powerhouse from 2009 to 2012 before taking over as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. After three years in Philly and one season with the 49ers in 2016, he took a year off before accepting the head coaching job at UCLA in 2018. His six-year stint with the Bruins wasn’t bad, but it fell short of the impact many expected, leading to his voluntary exit to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
That move paid off. Under Kelly’s guidance, the Buckeyes won a national championship last year, with quarterback Will Howard blossoming down the stretch. Howard earned passing grades above 80.0 in five of his final eight games, including throughout the College Football Playoff. That success propelled Kelly back to the NFL as offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll’s Raiders.
If Kelly can unlock similar production from Geno Smith and light up the scoreboard in Las Vegas, it will make headlines, and his name will once again surface in head coaching conversations.
JESSE MINTER, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Minter has been part of Jim Harbaugh’s coaching tree for four years now. He served as Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator during Michigan’s College Football Playoff and national championship runs in 2022 and 2023 before following him to Los Angeles as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator.
In 2024, working with a largely inherited roster, Minter’s defense impressed. The Chargers ranked fifth in EPA allowed per pass (-0.037) and posted the fifth-best team coverage grade (78.3). They also finished 12th in EPA allowed per rush (-0.124) and sixth in team run-defense grade (74.6).
With another offseason to mold the unit to his system, it’s not far-fetched to expect top-10 — or even top-five — numbers again in 2025. And if that defensive success pairs with team wins, Minter’s name will start surfacing in head coaching conversations.
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