The Buffalo Bills have reportedly moved on from head coach Sean McDermott after a heartbreaking loss in the AFC Divisional round against the Denver Broncos.
The Buffalo Bills, after another heartbreaking loss in the playoffs, have made a massive move to kick off their offseason efforts in 2026.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Bills are reportedly set to move on from head coach Sean McDermott following the team’s AFC Divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.
McDermott was hired by the Bills back in 2017 after spending six seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
During his time with the NFC South organization, the highly-regarded defensive mind played a key role in the Panthers’ Super Bowl run in 2015, coaching the likes of legendary linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman.
Luckily for the Bills, McDermott was able to quickly find success in his first season as the head coach, leading the team to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance in the AFC Wild Card against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After a rough stint in 2018, McDermott was able to get Buffalo back on track the following season, marking the beginning of his seven-year stretch of reaching the playoffs. This was partly due to the rise of former 2018 first-round pick Josh Allen, who would eventually turn into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Throughout his tenure with the Bills, the 51-year-old head coach compiled a 98-50 regular-season record.
While his strong resume in the regular season could have seemingly given him extra time as a coach, it was McDermott’s failures in the postseason that ultimately led the front office to part ways with him.
In his nine seasons as a head coach, McDermott was 8-8 in the postseason, while also failing to reach the Super Bowl. The Bills were just one game away from making the final game in 2020 and 2024, but were denied both times by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach Andy Reid and his squad proved to be the Achilles heel to McDermott throughout his time with Buffalo, as he was eliminated from the playoffs four times by the Chiefs’ dynasty.
While McDermott is out, multiple reports confirm that general manager Brandon Beane will keep his job and help find a new head coach this offseason.
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