The Buffalo Bills made the playoffs for seven straight seasons, went on the road to knock off the Jaguars in the AFC wildcard round, and took the No. 1 seeded Broncos to overtime on the road in Denver before losing on a walk-off field goal. All that wasn’t enough to save the job of now-former Bills HC Sean McDermott, who was let go by the team following Buffalo’s defeat in Denver.
In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott made the playoffs eight times. He was the coach who ended Buffalo’s playoff drought in his first season with the team, but he could never advance past the AFC Championship Game and ownership felt it was time to go in a new direction.
Insider Update on Buffalo Bills HC Candidate Brian Daboll
GettyORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 04: Head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills acknowledges the crowd after defeating the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
One of the names that has been circulating as a strong candidate for Buffalo’s head coaching vacancy is former Giants HC Brian Daboll. Though he was let go by New York earlier this season, Daboll spent several years as the offensive coordinator in Buffalo under McDermott, and he’s one of the people credited with the impressive development of Bills MVP QB Josh Allen.
“Could Brian Daboll go home?” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo asked on NFL Game Day Morning on Sunday. “The former Giants head coach interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job this past week. Also the Raiders — that one snuck under the radar for a little bit, actually stayed quiet for about 24 hours until the Raiders announced it. But Daboll is in the mix for both of those head coaching jobs.”
“He is a highly sought-after offensive coordinator candidate, the Tennessee Titans would like to hire him as soon as possible, but Daboll is going through the head coaching prospects right now. He interviewed well in Buffalo, why not [there]? He knows the area, he knows the team extremely well, is still in the mix there. We’ll see how this develops over the next couple of days for Daboll — head coach [opportunities] first, then offensive coordinator prospects after that.”
Insider Update on Buffalo Bills HC Candidate Philip Rivers
“One of the biggest stories of the year was Philip Rivers coming back to the field. Unbelievable,” said NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. “And actually, it is not done yet. Philip Rivers interviewed over the last several days for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job in person. That is real.”
“This actually happened, and my understanding is this is under serious consideration. Sounds like, in the interview process, he crushed it. And I know he has been just a high school coach, but he’s basically been a head coach and essentially play-caller on every team he’s been on over the last decade or so.”
“Philip Rivers has a strong connection around the league of veteran coaches. Guys like Frank Reich would be one, guys like Gus Bradley would be another. He could pull an impressive staff, this is certainly one to keep an eye on. Bills are not done interviewing though, they talk to [Jaguars OC] Grant Udinski today.”
Insider Shares Latest Update on 2 Bills Head Coach Candidates