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Although the various head coaching vacancies are beginning to be filled, recently fired Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott apparently shouldn’t be counted out from getting one of those jobs over the next few months.
Two days after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, the Bills fired McDermott, who had eight winning seasons and playoff appearances over nine seasons in Buffalo. But unlike many fired or resigning coaches, such as Mike Tomlin, an immediate break doesn’t seem to be in the cards for McDermott.
“Former Bills HC Sean McDermott could well emerge as a head coaching candidate for some teams that now have an opening,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter posted on X, formerly Twitter. “McDermott told his staff today that he intends to continue coaching.”
Former Bills HC Sean McDermott could well emerge as a head coaching candidate for some teams that now have an opening. McDermott told his staff today that he intends to continue coaching. pic.twitter.com/ZycMWClOwy
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2026
In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott posted a 98-50 record, which put him only 14 wins shy of Marv Levy’s all-time franchise record of 114. Additionally, McDermott’s 66.2% win percentage with the team ranks second in the franchise record books, only behind Lou Saban’s 67% in the 1960s.
However, not too dissimilar from Levy, who led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances, McDermott’s stint in Buffalo resulted in zero rings. And even more disappointingly, McDermott never even got to the Super Bowl, which could be a major reason why he is out of a job now.
Despite having Josh Allen, who won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award last season, the Bills consistently fell short ahead of the Super Bowl during McDermott’s nearly decade-long tenure. Their closest calls came during the 2020 and 2024 seasons; in both instances, Buffalo lost on the road to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who knocked the Bills out of the playoffs four times in five years. During the 2022 postseason, Buffalo lost at home to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10. This year, it was Denver that ended the Bills’ season, as an Allen interception and Buffalo defensive pass interference penalty helped facilitate a Wil Lutz game-winning field goal.
If McDermott, who finished his Buffalo stint with an 8-8 playoff record, is to remain an NFL head coach next season, there are currently seven openings from which to choose: the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans. The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants, both of whom had fired their head coaches, recently hired Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh, respectively.
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