The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott on Monday after nine seasons, ending a tenure defined by consistent regular-season success but repeated postseason disappointment. The move came two days after Buffalo’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round, once again falling short of a Super Bowl appearance despite having franchise quarterback Josh Allen. General manager Brandon Beane was promoted to president of football operations and will oversee the search for the team’s next head coach.
The loss marked the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Bills were eliminated in the divisional round. Buffalo has now gone more than three decades without reaching the Super Bowl, dating back to its unprecedented run of four consecutive Super Bowl losses from 1990 to 1993. The franchise also owns the most wins over a seven-season span without a Super Bowl appearance, regular season and playoffs combined, with 91 wins.
The coaching change means Allen will have a new head coach for the first time in his NFL career. The 29-year-old is entering his ninth season and already holds the distinction of having the most playoff wins and starts by any quarterback in the Super Bowl era without a Super Bowl appearance, with eight wins and 15 postseason starts.
McDermott finishes his time in Buffalo with a 98-50 regular-season record and an 8-8 record in the playoffs. His teams reached the postseason in eight of his nine seasons, including his first year in 2017, when the Bills snapped a 17-year playoff drought. He led Buffalo to six consecutive divisional-round appearances, five straight AFC East titles from 2020 to 2024, and two AFC Championship Game appearances, both ending in losses to the Kansas City Chiefs.
McDermott leaves as one of the most successful coaches in franchise history. His 98 regular-season wins rank second all time for the Bills, trailing only Hall of Famer Marv Levy, and his teams posted the second-best winning percentage in the NFL during his tenure, behind only Kansas City. However, Buffalo went 0-3 in postseason overtimes under McDermott, and the inability to take the final step toward a Super Bowl ultimately prompted the organization to make a change.
Despite his dismissal, McDermott is expected to draw interest around the league. In addition to Buffalo, coaching vacancies are currently open with the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and Cleveland Browns.
