When Joe Brady was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach in Buffalo this year, he decided to go outside the organization for the key assistant positions on his new offensive staff. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is liking what he’s seeing.
Bo Hardegree is the Bills’ new quarterbacks coach, and Allen says he’s getting a lot out of his time with Hardegree this offseason.
“A lot of meeting time, that’s what OTAs is for, you’re re-installing the playbook,” Allen said of his interactions with Hardegree. “It may be the same type of playbook that I’ve been in for the last eight years, but a lot of different nuance this year. He brings a lot of knowledge from his previous stops in the league. He’s got a lot of experience, and to be able to talk through different concepts, different defenses, how he sees it and how he conveys it to us. He’s doing a great job in our room and we’re lucky to have him.”
The 41-year-old Hardegree was a college quarterback at Tennessee but barely played for the Volunteers. Since college, however, he has coached all over the place, at Duke and LSU and then with the Broncos, Bears, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Raiders and Titans. Brady will keep the Bills’ offense the same in many respects, but he hired an offensive coordinator from the outside in Pete Carmichael, and brought in Hardegree from the outside as well, and Allen thinks there will be some fresh air in the offense this season.
Bills Clips
After Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson was acquitted of double murder (and later found liable in civil court for wrongful death), the Buffalo Bills did not remove him from the team’s Wall of Fame. When the team moves into its new stadium, it will.
Via Francis Boeck of WIVB, the Bills have decided not to include Simpson within the display of all-time franchise greats.
“We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and Family Circle.” Bills COO Pete Guelli said in a statement issued on Saturday.
The Family Circle will be a plaza outside the entrance to the stadium, which will include plaques honoring the 31 (soon, 30) members of the Wall of Fame.
Simpson died in 2024. He was the first member of the Wall of Fame, which the Bills started in 1980.
A five-time first-team All-Pro, Simpson was the NFL’s MVP in 1973, after rushing for 2,003 yards in 14 regular-season games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, where his bust is on permanent display.
They recently cut the ribbon at the Bills’ new stadium. Some would like to see the scissors next taken to the ticket prices.
Via Rob Petree of WIVB-TV in Buffalo, fans are complaining about what it will cost to watch Bills games in person.
“Ticket prices are outrageous,” one fan visiting family from Tennessee told WIVB.
“It’s scary when you got a family of four or five and you’ve got to pay these kind of prices for tickets,” another fan said.
And another: “It’s going to be impossible almost to get in here. I probably will never see a game here.”
Currently, the cheapest ticket for the Week 2 home opener against the Lions is $643. But that’s a function of the fact that it’ll be the first regular-season game played there. (It helps that the Lions are a good team, and that the last time the Bills and Lions crossed paths, it was a barnburner.)
The Bills raised more than $263 million through personal-seat licenses. Which is separate from the ticket prices.
The $2.1 billion stadium was constructed with $850 million in public contributions. The Bills picked up the $700 million in cost overruns that pushed the estimated $1.4 billion project 50 percent higher.
The end result is one of the most basic consequences of stadium politics and stadium economics. The taxpayers cover part of the cost. The fans get stuck with the rest of it, one way or another.
The alternatives were to have the team keep playing in an outdated facility — or losing the team to a community that would happily foot the full bill, indirectly through the government and directly through whatever it costs to get inside.
The Bills have not had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since Stefon Diggs departed. Khalil Shakir led the team with 821 receiving yards in 2024 and 719 last season.
DJ Moore hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2023, though he had 966 yards in 2024.
Josh Allen could have his first 1,000-yard receiver since 2023, and Moore could have his first 1,000-yard season since 2023.
“I think what DJ’s going to bring to us, obviously veteran leadership,” Allen told NFL Media. “He’s been in the league as long as I’ve been in the league, and he’s produced at such a high level for the last eight years. Just really getting to know him. We’re locker mates, and to have that relationship that we already have, it’s a pretty seamless fit. I’m excited to continue to get to work with him. He’s going to be a huge help for us this next season and seasons to come.”
Moore joins a wide receivers room that includes Shakir, Tyrell Shavers, Josh Palmer, Keon Coleman and rookie Skyler Bell.
In eight seasons, Moore has four 1,000-yard seasons and 8,213 career receiving yards. He has had six or more touchdowns in each of the past four seasons.
The Bills held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new stadium this week and the timing fits the overall theme of the offseason in Buffalo.
After losing to the Broncos in the playoffs, the Bills dispatched head coach Sean McDermott to kick off an offseason that also saw them trade for wide receiver DJ Moore, sign a number of veteran free agents and add nine draft picks to the roster. That’s a fair amount of change for a team that’s been relatively stable in recent years and quarterback Josh Allen said on NFL Network this week that putting all of the pieces together will remain the team’s focus when training camp opens next month.
“A lot of new. We’re gonna figure things out,” Allen said. “Obviously, we go to camp July 28. That’s really where you make your team. But like you said, a lot of new faces, offense, defense, staff-wise. New stadium. New head coach. So, there is a lot of new, and we’re looking forward to getting out there and really learning each other and building that team camaraderie when we go to St. John Fisher in Rochester. But, yeah, it’s another tough task, but the goal remains the same, and that’s to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Western New York. And we’re going to do everything in our power to make that happen.”
Frustrations with the Bills’ inability to get to the Super Bowl led to McDermott’s departure, but Allen was always among the biggest reasons to think the Bills could go the distance and that expectation will remain in place as long as he’s playing at an MVP level.
Before the Texans nearly made it to the AFC Championship for the first time in franchise history, they started the year 0-3. Then, they shook things up by abruptly cutting safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
It was a surprising move, especially since the Texans (who acquired Gardner-Johnson in a trade with the Eagles) made no effort to re-trade him. They simply cut ties with him.
The Texans never provided a clear explanation of why Gardner-Johnson, who had just won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, needed to go. In a new interview with Tim Graham of The Athletic, Gardner-Johnson supplies his side of the story.
According to the player, things started to go sideways at training camp in West Virginia, after a confrontation with “the GM’s friend.”
“If y’all going to cut me, cut me,” Gardner-Johnson said. “But I’ll give nobody reasons to cut me. I haven’t. I don’t. I’m not a cancer. There’s nobody in this locker room that says, ‘Chauncey’s a problem.’ The media loves me. The only thing that’ll do it is something that triggers somebody that has a say in the building that can alter somebody else’s mind. That happens every time.
“That’s how I got [cut] in Houston. One person that’s not technically a part of the organization called me a B-word at Greenbrier. I get out my body; he says something to the GM, and the next thing I’m cut.”
The Texans declined to comment for Graham’s story. Still, the objective timeline doesn’t exactly support the effort to connect the training-camp incident to Gardner-Johnson’s release.
The Texans were at The Greenbrier from August 4 to August 7. The Texans cut him on September 23, a full 47 days after leaving West Virginia.
It had been reported that Gardner-Johnson struggled to learn the Houston defense, and that he “finger-pointed” in lieu of accepting responsibility for his mistakes. Another report indicated that the team had become exhausted by his complaints.
Whatever the reason for his exit from the Texans, Gardner-Johnson has never stayed in one place for very long. Picked by New Orleans in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, the Saints traded him to the Eagles after three seasons. After one year in Philly, he signed with the Lions. After one year with the Lions, he returned to the Eagles. After another year with the Eagles, he was traded to the Texans.
Cut after three games in Houston, Gardner-Johnson landed on the practice squad in Baltimore. One week later, the Ravens released him.
The Bears signed him in late October, and he finished 2025 in Chicago. Then, Gardner-Johnson signed with the Bills.
Seven seasons. Six departures. Gardner-Johnson can say it’s not him — and maybe it isn’t. Still, he’s made six exits in less than four calendar years (the Saints traded him to the Eagles on August 30, 2022).
On several occasions, Gardner-Johnson aired grievances after his departures. He called his year with the Lions “hell,” and he claimed he was “lied to.” He said the Eagles traded him after the team won Super Bowl LIX because they were “scared of a competitor.”
He complained to Graham about his week in Maryland: “They sign you in the middle of the night with the plan for you to play that week, then literally 14 hours later they trade for a safety and tell you, ‘Oh, we’re going to start him and keep you on the practice squad.’ I’m a Super Bowl champion!”
Despite his performance in 11 games with the Bears, Gardner-Johnson told Graham that he knew the Bears wouldn’t re-sign him.
“I’m a firecracker, but let’s take the body of work: never legally been in trouble; never physically harmed a person,” Gardner-Johnson said. “But I haven’t been a captain ever in my life. They say, ‘You gotta lead the right way.’ My definition of leading is winning. . . . There’s a lot of captains in this league — and I want this to come out — that’s just for jersey sales. I can show you three, four captains right now that I wouldn’t get behind. Why would I get behind anybody that doesn’t believe in himself? I’ve played for plenty of false captains, but I gotta fake it, like, ‘That’s my leader!’”
He knows that people already think the Bills will cut him. Bills GM Brandon Beane was nevertheless willing to roll the dice on Gardner-Johnson, after both doing the research on the player and making sure he understands the ground rules.
“We talked about just making sure, ‘You’ve got to be a good teammate,’” Beane said. “We don’t want any cheap shots in practice or anything like that. You want to keep it in between those lines, but you do want his edge.”
Implied in that message is that Beane concluded Gardner-Johnson has a reputation for not being a good teammate, and for taking cheap shots in practice.
So far, the Bills seem to like him. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonard calls Gardner-Johnson a player who “loves football,” and who “loves being in the building.”
The challenge isn’t to be in the building. The challenge is to stay in the building. Gardner-Johnson vows that he will.
“I’m going to win the next two out of three Super Bowls,” he told Graham. “How? Look where they placed me at. Look who’s my quarterback. If I got a fucking fighting chance, it’s over with.”
Frankly, that’s the kind of fire the underachieving Bills need from their new “firecracker” safety. And maybe it’ll be enough to have a “C” on Gardner-Johnson’s jersey when he walks onto the field for Buffalo’s Week 1 game at, yes, the Texans.
Former NFL wide receiver Sammy Watkins is coaching high school football.
Ocoee High School in Florida announced that Watkins is joining its staff.
“The Ocoee Knights Football Family is proud to welcome Coach Sammy Watkins as our new Wide Receivers Coach,” the football team’s announcement said. “A dynamic playmaker and proven competitor at every level of football, Coach Watkins brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for developing young athletes both on and off the field. His commitment to excellence and understanding of the wide receiver position will be an incredible asset to our program as we continue building a championship culture. Coach Watkins understands what it takes to succeed through hard work, discipline, and dedication. We are excited for our receivers to learn from someone who has competed at the highest levels of the game and is committed to helping our players reach their full potential.”
Watkins was a two-time first-team All-American at Clemson and projected as an NFL superstar, which is why the Bills traded two first-round picks and a fourth-round pick to move up and draft him fourth overall in 2014. Watkins had a decent NFL career but didn’t become the player the Bills hoped he would be, and after three years in Buffalo he was traded to the Rams. Watkins later spent time with the Chiefs and Packers, and had two stints with the Ravens.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said he’d be interested in Watkins joining Clemson’s staff, but for now, Watkins will start his coaching career in high school.
49ers defensive end Nick Bosa cast doubt on his older brother Joey playing in the NFL in 2026 in May when he said that his brother is not “thinking too much about football” while working on his golf game.
Adam Schefter of ESPN provided more reason to think that the elder Bosa will not be signing with any team before Week 1. During his podcast, Schefter was asked about the prospect of the two brothers playing together and said that there’s a better chance of Joey Bosa playing for no one.
“It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down,” Schefter said. “Now, again, could a situation like the 49ers come along that entices him enough to come out and play again? Yeah, absolutely. We saw it happen last year with Philip Rivers, so you never know when a player is fully done and when he’s not done. But the fact of the matter is, I think if the Niners wanted to pair those two together, it probably would have happened already. I think if Joey Bosa wanted to play football, it probably would have happened already.”
Bosa had 72 sacks in nine seasons with the Chargers and had five sacks with the Bills during the 2025 season.
Hall of Famer Jim Kelly has had a run of bad health luck since retiring from the NFL after the 1996 season. A cancer survivor, the former Bills quarterback revealed Tuesday that he had a stroke last month.
“I spent a few days in the hospital, but right now I feel good,” Kelly said, via Kim DeGeorge of WGRZ. “Eyesight’s not great. My hearing still sucks, but that’s part of life. It’s part of getting old, but I feel really good. Scans have been clean and all. Everything’s good, all good.”
Kelly is a four-time survivor of squamous cell carcinoma. He was first diagnosed in his upper jaw in 2013 and underwent multiple surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy to beat the disease after several recurrences.
Despite his health challenges, Kelly has always maintained a positive outlook.
“I’m very blessed,” Kelly said. “It’s been about a month and a half since my setback, but I feel pretty good. I feel good. I can’t wait for the first game.”
Kelly hopes to enjoy many years of football in the Bills’ new stadium.
“I pray to the good Lord that it gives me some extra years that I’ll be able to enjoy a football game right here in Highmark Stadium with my grandson,” Kelly said.
The offseason programs around the league have largely wrapped up for 2026, with players and coaches around the league now experiencing some time off.
But training camps are just a few weeks away from opening.
The NFL announced the camp report dates for all 32 teams on Monday, with the first ones opening up in less than a month.
Below are the camp locations and report dates:
Arizona Cardinals: State Farm Stadium | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans 7/22
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta Falcons Training Facility | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Baltimore Ravens: Under Armour Performance Center | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
Buffalo Bills: St. John Fisher University | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Carolina Panthers: Bank of America Stadium | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/22
Chicago Bears: Halas Hall | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cincinnati Bengals: Paycor Stadium | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Cleveland Browns: CrossCountry Mortgage Campus | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Dallas Cowboys: Marriott Residence Inn Oxnard | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Denver Broncos: Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit | Rookies: 7/22 | Veterans: 7/28
Detroit Lions: Meijer Performance Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Green Bay Packers: Lambeau Field | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Houston Texans: Houston Methodist Training Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Indianapolis Colts: Grand Park | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Jacksonville Jaguars: Miller Electric Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Kansas City Chiefs: Missouri Western State University | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Las Vegas Raiders: Intermountain Health Performance Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Chargers: The Bolt | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Los Angeles Rams: Loyola Marymount University | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/25
Miami Dolphins: Baptist Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/28
Minnesota Vikings: TCO Performance Center | Rookies: 7/26 | Veterans: 7/28
New England Patriots: New Balance Athletics Center | Rookies: 7/21 | Veterans: 7/24
New Orleans Saints: Ochsner Sports Performance Center | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Giants: Quest Diagnostics Training Center/The Greenbrier | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
New York Jets: Athletic Health Jets Training Center | Rookies: 7/25 | Veterans: 7/28
Philadelphia Eagles: Jefferson Health Training Complex | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
Pittsburgh Steelers: Saint Vincent College | Rookies: 7/28 | Veterans: 7/28
San Francisco 49ers: SAP Performance Facility | Rookies: 7/18 | Veterans: 7/25
Seattle Seahawks: Virginia Mason Athletic Center | Rookies: 7/17 | Veterans: 7/24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: AdventHealth Training Center | Rookies: 7/27 | Veterans: 7/28
Tennessee Titans: Vanderbilt Health Football Center | Rookies: 7/23 | Veterans: 7/28
Washington Commanders: Commanders Park | Rookies: 7/24 | Veterans: 7/28
