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Sean McDermott’s tenure as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach ended Monday despite his time with the team featuring a historic playoff streak and a complete transformation of the organization’s culture.
The Bills, led by McDermott for nine years, had the second-most wins (98-50) of any franchise since 2017. He took Buffalo to the playoffs in eight of those seasons, reaching the AFC Championship Game twice but coming up short of a Super Bowl appearance.
To take the next step with 2024 MVP quarterback Josh Allen and find a way to the franchise’s elusive first Super Bowl title, the Bills will have to hire a new coach, and that responsibility will fall on general manager Brandon Beane. Bills owner Terry Pegula announced Monday that Beane has been promoted to president of football operations, giving him an increase in responsibilities, including overseeing the coaching search.
So how did the Bills get here — firing McDermott and promoting Beane two days after the 33-30 divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos — and what does it mean?
Bills reporter Alaina Getzenberg, senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler and NFL analyst Ben Solak answer all the pressing questions in the wake of Monday’s news that the Bills are moving in a new direction.
Why was Sean McDermott fired? Was the loss in Denver a major reason for the decision?
He didn’t finish the job. In a results business, McDermott was incredibly successful, winning 10 or more games in seven straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL. The Bills are one of six teams in the Super Bowl era to have a streak that long.
The firing comes down to what McDermott didn’t do, but perhaps more substantially, a clear decision by Pegula to go with Beane’s vision for the team moving forward and the general manager winning out in receiving the owner’s faith in building the vision for the future. Beane and McDermott together were not accomplishing the combined goal in leading the football side of the team, and that’s winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl or even reaching the big game. Instead, the Bills are the only one of those six teams to not have multiple Super Bowl appearances during those winning stretches. Buffalo’s past three playoff losses were all by three points.
Moving on from McDermott was not a one-game or one-season decision. This is a coach who came to embody western New York and become one of its fiercest advocates. He built a culture that many flocked to and loved with several players joining (or returning to) Buffalo to play for McDermott, as seen in the shocked and dismayed responses to his firing.
Pegula made clear in his statement that he believes that the organizational structure was not the most effective and that giving just one person — Beane — control of the entire football operation is the best move to try to reach a Super Bowl title. — Getzenberg
How does Allen feel about McDermott and how much of a role did the QB play in this decision?
McDermott isn’t being fired if quarterback Josh Allen doesn’t have a certain awareness. Allen’s importance in the building cannot be underestimated, and maximizing his prime is a large part of making this move. After a very emotional Saturday evening for the franchise quarterback, for the first time, Allen did not have a news conference during the team’s locker room clean out on Sunday, a sign that something was afoot.
While Allen has spoken well of McDermott publicly, earlier in his career their relationship was not in the best place, but that has improved over the years. Allen is also very close with Beane and that will be a key relationship moving forward here.
The quarterback’s input to the coaching search will also be a big one to watch as he has spoken very highly of and had strong relationships with multiple names that could be involved, chiefly current Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and former Bills quarterback Davis Webb. — Getzenberg
Does this immediately become the best job available? And should John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski regret already taking jobs?
Though the Bills job is extremely attractive for MVP-related reasons, I’m not convinced it’s clearly better than the other options. The new head coach will enter Buffalo with astronomical expectations, as the outgoing coach made the playoffs seven consecutive times, including the divisional round six straight years. There is no teardown and rebuild on the horizon in Buffalo, no one-year grace period. The next coach needs to hit the ground running and win in January immediately.
With that said, I imagine both Harbaugh and Stefanski would have taken long looks at this job — Stefanski especially, as he hasn’t coached an elite quarterback like Allen before, and that duo could have found offensive success together. I’d wager the Bills job goes fast because of the Allen allure, but it seems like a bit of a trap to me. — Solak
Which candidates make sense for Buffalo?
This is a primo job that will attract several strong candidates. It’s not a perfect job — the roster has a few holes, and the expectations will be immense — but the chance to coach Allen and get the best out of him will be a serious draw. An in-house option, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, and former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, few former Buffalo OC, could get looks. Daboll, in particular, has western New York roots and a long-standing rapport with Allen.
But this is also a chance for the Bills to reinvent themselves in a new image with a younger coach. Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are among intriguing options still on the board.
A trio of even younger offensive coaches — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Broncos pass-game coordinator Davis Webb — are worth interviewing, too. — Fowler
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Why did the Bills retain GM Brandon Beane, and will he be on the hot seat next year?
With Buffalo showing long-term confidence in Beane, not only has he received more responsibilities but the move illustrates Pegula’s trust in his abilities and his view of the organization. Beane’s promotion will also put more of a spotlight on the work he is doing if the team falls short again as he has full control.
This is a change as McDermott previously reported to Pegula directly. Beane, 49, now runs the football side of the team, which is a sign that he will have more time with the new coach to put in place whatever changes he sees fit.
The general manager has been under considerable criticism because of the strength of the weapons around Allen and the fact that many recent Day 1 and 2 draft picks and free agency additions have not lived up to expectations.
Beane, who had reported directly to Pegula as well, has been able to build his own trust and relationship with the owner. Pegula clearly believes Beane is the person to guide the team moving forward. — Getzenberg
What are Buffalo’s big offseason roster decisions?
Wide receiver is the chief consideration. The position group has major question marks around it with 2024 No. 33 draft pick Keon Coleman falling down the roster in his second season, and free agency additions such as Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel not working out. Fixing that group will be among Beane’s biggest tasks.
There are also several positions in free agency flux, especially along both lines. Starting center Connor McGovern and left guard David Edwards are set to become free agents, which would be major losses up front. Pass rusher is also an area in need of work as Joey Bosa and AJ Epenesa are free agents, and finding a consistently strong presence at the spot has been an issue for this team.
With McDermott’s departure, the defensive question marks that present themselves overall are also significant as the unit was built to fit the coach’s scheme specifically. Positions like safety and linebacker only become bigger holes to fill.
The real challenge is rebuilding the roster once again under a new head coach — one who can make the team competitive again right away next season with a 30-year-old Allen at quarterback and the current cap limitations the Bills have. — Getzenberg
Where could McDermott land, and does he move to the top of the list of available HC candidates?
McDermott’s presence will make a few front offices rethink their plans. Tennessee comes to mind.
The Titans are eyeing finalists Matt Nagy, Robert Saleh and Jeff Hafley. Will they get McDermott involved? It’s at least worth considering. He carries instant credibility. Even if Tennessee and Miami (with Hafley in sight) stay the course with their current searches, McDermott has five openings to pursue — the Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Ravens and Cardinals.
Those first two are not natural fits at this stage. Both teams are rebuilding and positioned to take a swing with an outside-the-box hire. McDermott’s coaching style would fit in seamlessly in the AFC North. Baltimore, which isn’t shying from the retread model in its search, looks like a better option than Pittsburgh. Arizona falls somewhere in the middle but is hardly a destination job at this point.
So, yes, McDermott is now the most decorated candidate, but much will depend on a team’s current trajectory and preference. — Fowler
