In nine seasons under Sean McDermottthe Buffalo Bills He played in eight playoff games and advanced to the AFC Championship twice.
But a trip to the Super Bowl has eluded the Bills, and now it will be up to another head coach to get them back there.
Buffalo fired McDermott on Monday, two days after the Bills were eliminated in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“Sean did [admirable] “The job of leading our football team over the last nine seasons,” Bills owner Terry Pegula said He said in a statement. “But I feel like we need a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level.”
Buffalo has retained general manager Brandon Beane, who will lead the search for McDermott’s replacement. In addition to remaining general manager, Bean was promoted Monday to Buffalo’s president of football operations.
McDermott, 51, went 98-50 and won five AFC East titles during his time with the Bills from 2017-2025. But Buffalo went 8-8 in the postseason, failing repeatedly despite the presence of star quarterback Josh Allen, the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Four of those playoff losses came against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who missed the postseason this year.
In Saturday’s season-ending loss, the Bills committed five turnovers, including four by Allen.
The game ended in controversy after Broncos defensive back Jaquan McMillian ripped the ball away from wide receiver Brandin Cooks when the latter hit the ground – a play that was ruled an interception rather than a catch by Cox.
During an impassioned post-game speech, McDermott bemoaned how quickly the review process went for that crucial turnover.
“I’m defending Buffalo, dammit,” McDermott said. “I stand by us, because what happened is not the way it should happen.”
Although the Bills (12-5) were a wild-card team and the No. 6 seed in the AFC — and had shortcomings on the roster at wide receiver and on defense — many viewed Saturday’s loss as a missed opportunity for Buffalo. That’s because the absence of top quarterbacks Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow leaves this field wide open.
The Bills are one of 12 teams to never win a Super Bowl. They haven’t reached the Super Bowl since 1994, which was the last of a four-game winning streak that all ended in a loss.
Buffalo becomes the 10th team to have a head coaching vacancy this offseason, although two others — the Giants and Atlanta Falcons — have already filled their position.
The Giants are set to officially introduce John Harbaugh as their head coach in a press conference on Tuesday, while the Falcons have hired two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.
The Bills immediately became one of the most coveted landing spots on the market with the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals all having openings for head coaches.
Brian Daboll, who was fired by the Giants as head coach in November after nearly four seasons, is among the available candidates. He was Buffalo’s offensive coordinator from 2018-21 and helped Allen develop over his first four seasons.
Other available coaches include Mike McDaniel, Mike McCarthy and Jesse Minter. Mike Tomlin, who resigned as coach of the Steelers last week, would be the more accomplished candidate but is widely expected to pursue a television job.