Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s job could be in jeopardy after Buffalo suffered a narrow 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
The Bills have now been eliminated in seven consecutive postseasons without reaching the Super Bowl.
Bills Could Look to Move on From McDermott
The Kansas City Chiefs knocked the Bills out of four of their last five postseason matchups, not counting this season’s playoffs. With the Chiefs out of the picture, it was finally the Bills’ chance to shine. However, they fell short once again against another tough AFC West opponent.
The Bills have explored every option in recent seasons, and it might finally be time to consider parting ways with McDermott. Something isn’t clicking; Josh Allen isn’t going anywhere, and the head coach could likely be on the chopping block.
The Baltimore Ravens recently parted ways with head coach John Harbaugh after they failed to make the playoffs. In recent years, they have found themselves in a similar situation as the Bills, continually coming close but ultimately falling short of reaching the Super Bowl.
McDermott is a good coach, and parting ways with him would be rough. But sometimes, changing the locker-room voice is what a team needs.
There is nothing wrong with McDermott as a coach, and if the Bills fire him, he would get a head coaching job within days. The problem is that everything the Bills have done under McDermott over the past nine seasons, especially in the last seven, has failed to achieve their ultimate goal.
The Bills shouldn’t be satisfied with just making the playoffs every season only to fall short of the Super Bowl. Buffalo has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and with each passing season it fails to reach the Super Bowl, it wastes Allen’s prime years.
If the Bills decide to part ways with McDermott, they would instantly become the top head coaching opportunity on the market, even surpassing the Ravens. The only issue is that if Buffalo wants to hire Harbaugh, they won’t be able to, since the New York Giants just appointed him as their head coach on Saturday.
Who Buffalo Should Hire
The Bills may consider promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, especially since several NFL teams have shown interest in hiring him. However, the concern is that Brady has never held a head coaching position, and this may not address the challenges the Bills have faced over the past few seasons.
Buffalo might need to search beyond its current ranks for a new head coach, and one intriguing candidate is former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin announced his departure from Pittsburgh on Tuesday, sparking speculation that he may not want to coach in 2026. However, if an opportunity like the Bills opens up, it could be worth reaching out to him. Since Tomlin is still under contract with the Steelers, the Bills would have to trade to acquire him.
The Broncos traded with the Saints to acquire head coach Sean Payton three seasons ago, and it has proven to be a beneficial move. Buffalo could follow in Denver’s footsteps and try to trade for Tomlin.
There’s a solid possibility that McDermott will continue as the Bills’ coach next season, but this might also be the perfect opportunity to move on and start fresh.
Sean McDermott’s Tenure as Bills Head Coach Could Be Nearing Its End After Loss to Broncos