The Buffalo Bills have fired Sean McDermott after the team once again failed to make the NFL playoffs.
The Bills lost a dramatic divisional round game in overtime to the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Buffalo has reached the playoffs in all but one season since McDermott took over in 2017, when he helped the Bills reach the postseason for the first time in 17 years. However, they failed to reach the Super Bowl in that time despite the presence of Josh Allen, one of the best quarterbacks of his generation. Under McDermott, the Bills became the first team to win a playoff game in six straight seasons and not capture a Super Bowl title.
“Sean helped change the mentality of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team,” Bills owner Terry Pegula said in a statement Monday. “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.”
As part of the new structure, Pegula announced that he will promote general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. Beane, who is completing his ninth season in Buffalo, will oversee the coaching search process.
“Brandon will oversee all aspects of our football operation,” Pegula said. “I have complete faith in Brandon’s outstanding leadership style, have witnessed it, and have confidence in his abilities to lead our organization.”
McDermott compiled a 98-50 record in his nine seasons in Buffalo, turning around a team that had been bottom of the AFC East for long stretches. But he had an 8-8 record in the playoffs, and the team decided they needed a new approach. The Bills are hoping his successor can push Allen and his teammates over the edge and into the Super Bowl.
McDermott is one of a number of high-profile coaches who recently ended their tenure after struggling in the playoffs. The Ravens fired John Harbaugh, who failed to make the Super Bowl during his time with Lamar Jackson, a quarterback on the same level as Allen. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin resigned as coach of the Steelers after a string of postseason losses.
McDermott may not remain out of work for long. The Dolphins, Titans, Ravens, Steelers, Raiders, Cardinals and Raiders all have head coaching vacancies.
The Bills have become a model of stability under McDermott and Beane, who arrived in May 2017. They are now undergoing their first coaching search since McDermott took over for Rex Ryan, who was fired after two seasons in Buffalo.
McDermott was hired after spending six seasons as defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Before that, he broke into the NFL in 1999 as a member of Andy Reid’s first staff in Philadelphia. McDermott worked his way up the ranks to become the Eagles’ defensive coordinator before being fired in 2010.
With Allen turning 30 in May, the Bills are expected to target an offensive-minded coach to stimulate an offense in which the quarterback is often asked to carry the load. The NFL’s 2024 MVP’s production is down this season. He finished with 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns, his lowest production since his sophomore season in 2019.
The defense has suffered partly this season due to his move to the youth group and a series of injuries. Although Buffalo’s defense ranks seventh in the NFL in 2025, the unit has had trouble stopping the run. It’s in the playoffs where the defense has been criticized for breaking down too often. Buffalo allowed 30 or more points in four of its playoff losses under McDermott.