The Buffalo Bills will begin a new era following their latest playoff failure.
The Bills fired coach Sean McDermott on Monday, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported, per sources informed of the situation.
Buffalo officially announced McDermott's dismissal shortly after.
"Sean has done an admirable job of leading our football team for the past 9 seasons," owner Terry Pegula said in a statement released by the team. "But I feel we are in need of a new structure within our leadership to give this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level. We owe that to our players and to Bills Mafia.
"Sean helped change the mindset of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team. I respect all the work, loyalty and attention to detail he showed for this team and the community. I wish Sean, Jamie and his family all the best."
The decision to move on from McDermott comes less than 48 hours after the Bills lost 33-30 in overtime to the Denver Broncos, the latest in a line of postseason failures under the 51-year-old coach.
McDermott helped build Buffalo from a perennial doormat into an AFC contender. In the 10 seasons before he was hired in 2017, the Bills finished last in the AFC East six times and generated a single winning season.
From his first campaign, McDermott turned things around, earning a 9-7 record and helping the Bills to their first postseason appearance in 18 years with Tyrod Taylor under center. After one 6-10 season in Josh Allen's rookie campaign, the Bills became yearly contenders. The Bills won five consecutive AFC East titles from 2020 to 2024 and made the postseason each of the past seven seasons.
However, the playoff failures persisted. In eight playoff campaigns, the Bills exited in the Wild Card Round twice, lost in the Divisional Round four times and fell in the AFC Championship Game twice.
In Saturday's loss, the Bills turned the ball over five times and couldn't get a late stop. McDermott ends his run in Buffalo fuming over a controversial interception in which referees ruled Bills receiver Brandin Cooks didn't complete the process of the catch, allowing Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian to intercept the ball, leading to Denver's game-winning kick.
McDermott leaves with a 98-50 regular-season record, including seven straight 10-plus-win campaigns, but an 8-8 postseason record.
In an AFC playoff bracket without Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow, this was the year for Buffalo to strike. Another early exit necessitated changes in the owner's mind.
Much like when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Tony Dungy in 2001, the Bills are hoping a fresh voice can get them over the playoff hump.
Bills are an attractive landing spot
McDermott's firing makes 10 head coach openings this offseason, with the New York Giants (John Harbaugh) and Atlanta Falcons (Kevin Stefanski) the only two spots filled thus far. Lucky the Giants and Falcons nabbed their guy, because the prospect of working with Allen potentially could have led to different decisions.
Allen is a marvel, able to shoulder the load for an offense lacking in weapons. At times, he tries to do too much and it gets him in trouble, but without the reigning NFL MVP's Superman routine, the Bills would have exited far sooner than Saturday. Even in the Divisional Round loss, Allen turned the ball over four times, and somehow still had the Bills leading with two minutes left in the game. He also spearheaded overtime by getting Buffalo in range to kick the game-tying field goal.
The QB isn't perfect, and he shoulders the weight of the playoff failures right alongside McDermott, but there is no more dynamic player in the game right now.
The prospect of coaching Allen is enticing.
The Bills have other pieces, including the NFL's leading rusher, James Cook, two good offensive tackles and several young players on defense, including safety Cole Bishop and pass rusher Gregory Rousseau.
However, there are significant holes to fill. The defense was a sieve at times in 2025, getting gashed on the ground and giving up pivotal catches in crucial moments. And the offense lacks play-making receivers.
Those issues need to be addressed this offseason, but with Allen still in his prime, Buffalo becomes a coveted landing spot, with a star QB and a new stadium opening in 2026.
What's next for Sean McDermott?
As the Bills hope to find their John Gruden, McDermott could play the Dungy role and eventually see his own postseason success in a new city.
With a host of coaching openings, McDermott likely vaults to the top of the list for several teams. The defensive-minded coach has experience digging a franchise out of a massive hole and keeping it in contention. And he's helped usher a young quarterback into one of the most dynamic weapons in the league.
Reminder: Allen didn't come out of the box a fully-formed assassin. McDermott let the QB grow on the job during a roller-coaster rookie campaign and helped turn a once-scatter-shot QB into a force. Allen deserves credit for his own evolution, but to dismiss the head coach's role in that would be short-sighted.
McDermott was put in a rough spot this season with a wanting roster. Some of the most glaring issues need to be laid at the feet of general manager Brandon Beane --- yet the coach gets the axe, while Beane actually received an additional title of president of football operations on Monday.
If he chooses to jump right back in the fray, McDermott's qualifications should land him a job this cycle. He's had his warts -- literally every coach currently employed has their own -- but his track record in helping raise up a dormant franchise should play well with many owners.
After nine years and 98 wins, the Bills and McDermott part ways. It doesn't take much straining to suggest that both the team and the coach could succeed with a fresh start.
