In an offseason filled with unprecedented head coaching movement, another major domino just fell. The Buffalo Bills decided to fire longtime head coach Sean McDermott after their postseason loss to the Denver Broncos.
In nine seasons, the Bills only missed the playoffs once under McDermott and have won 10 or more games in seven straight seasons. However, his 8-8 record in the playoffs ultimately led to his undoing.
The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that has just two winning seasons since 2002. The franchise would do a lot just to get some kind of stability on the field. The team is already deep into their head coaching search, but McDermott becoming available could change the thinking.
Though the lack of playoff success is alarming, a 98-50 record as a head coach is about as good as it gets in the regular season. Former Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito played under McDermott when he was with the Bills during the 2017 season, so he knows the coach well. He believes that Las Vegas should hire him.
“The Raiders need to take a serious look at Sean McDermott,” Incognito wrote on X. “Proven leader. Consistent winner. Culture builder. That’s the kind of stability Vegas needs.”
John Spytek Worked With McDermott on Eagles
McDermott might not be an exciting name for Raiders fans due to his old-school approach and defensive background, but he very well could be in the mix. It’s worth noting that general manager John Spytek worked as a scout for the Philadelphia Eagles for five years when McDermott was with the franchise.
It’s not clear if the two have any kind of relationship, but it’s hard to imagine they didn’t have some sort of interactions, having worked together for so long. McDermott was a very respected member of the Eagles organization before he got the Bills’ job.
Spytek could think highly of his ability as a coach. Now, it remains to be seen what he wants to do next season. He could want to take a year off, the same way Mike Tomlin is. He could also want to jump right back into things like John Harbaugh is with the New York Giants. It’ll be interesting to watch his situation unfold.
Is McDermott What the Raiders Need at HC?
There might not be a coach who has gone to the playoffs in eight-of-nine seasons who gets less hype than McDermott. The fact that he has had Josh Allen as his quarterback has taken up most of the talk surrounding the Bills.
However, Buffalo had missed the playoffs in 17-straight seasons before McDermott turned them into a playoff team in his first year. That was before Allen was even in the NFL.
McDermott has proven he can turn around a franchise, which is what the Raiders need. In that regard, he should be strongly considered for the job. At the same time, the team might rather have an offensive-minded head coach to help develop a rookie quarterback. McDermott did play a big role in Allen’s development, but he’s also a generational talent. It remains to be seen if he can still have that kind of success with a quarterback who doesn’t have such a rare skillset.
Richie Incognito Makes Surprising Endorsement for Raiders HC Job