Bills Fire Sean McDermott After Nine Seasons Without Super Bowl

The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott on Monday, one day after their 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round. This marks the end of McDermott's nine-year run with the team in Orchard Park, New York, where he posted a 98-50 regular-season record but went 8-8 in the playoffs. Owner Terry Pegula made the call for a leadership change to push the franchise closer to a Super Bowl.

Background

Sean McDermott took over as the Bills' head coach in January 2017, becoming the 19th person to hold the job in team history. He came from the Carolina Panthers, where he had been defensive coordinator for six years and helped them reach Super Bowl 50. Before that, he worked with the Philadelphia Eagles starting in 2001, rising to defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2010.

In his first year with Buffalo, McDermott ended an 18-year playoff drought, the longest in the NFL at the time and the longest among North American pro sports teams. The Bills went 9-7 and made the postseason as the AFC's No. 6 seed, losing 10-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card game. That win in his debut season opener against the New York Jets, 21-12, set a positive tone.

The 2018 season brought a 6-10 finish, the only losing record under McDermott. The team started 2-7 with some big defeats, often due to thin offense, but rallied to compete in the final seven games. Defense started to improve that year.

By 2019, things picked up with a 10-6 record and another playoff spot as the No. 5 seed. They led Houston 16-0 in the third quarter of the wild-card game but lost 22-19 in overtime. McDermott earned a nomination for NFL Coach of the Year.

Success built from there. In 2020, the Bills won their first AFC East title since 1995 and reached the AFC championship, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. They repeated as division champs from 2021 to 2024, five straight times. In 2022, they went 13-3 but played only 16 games after the Damar Hamlin incident in Week 17, which McDermott helped manage by supporting the game's cancellation.

The 2023 season saw an 11-6 mark, a wild-card win over Pittsburgh, and a 27-24 divisional loss to Kansas City. In 2024, Buffalo finished 13-4, beat Denver in the wild card and Baltimore in the divisional round, then lost the AFC title game to the Chiefs again. This season, they went 12-5, second in the division behind New England at 13-4, before the Broncos defeat.

Over seven seasons since 2019, the Bills had the most wins without a Super Bowl appearance, including playoffs. They joined three other teams to win a playoff game in six straight seasons, all of whom later won Super Bowls. McDermott moved up to second on the Bills' all-time wins list, behind only Marv Levy.

Key Details

McDermott's regular-season success stood out: seven straight years with 10 or more wins and eight playoff trips in nine seasons. His defenses were strong, allowing the third-fewest points per game at 20.2 during his time. This year, they ranked 12th in efficiency, first against the pass at 156.9 yards per game, but gave up the fifth-most rushing yards at 136.2 per game.

Playoff woes hurt more. The Bills went 1-7 on the road in postseason games since 2017, allowing 28.7 points per game away. This was their fourth divisional-round exit in five years. Buffalo has not reached the Super Bowl since four straight losses from 1990 to 1993, the only team with that streak in NFL history.

Quarterback Josh Allen, who turns 30 in May, is central to the team's plans. He had a down year with 25 touchdown passes, his fewest since 2019, and a career-high 40 sacks. He did run for 14 scores, second-most in his career. The rushing attack shone, with James Cook winning the NFL rushing title, the first Bills player since O.J. Simpson in 1976. Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who built that scheme, retired Sunday.

Team Reactions

Owner Terry Pegula praised McDermott in a statement.

"Sean has done an admirable job of leading our football team for the past 9 seasons," Pegula said. "Sean helped change the mindset of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team."

Pegula added the need for new structure to reach the next level, owing it to players and fans known as Bills Mafia.

McDermott responded through NFL Network.

"For nearly a decade I have had the opportunity to wake up every morning as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills, which has truly been a gift," he said. "Bills Mafia, you are one of one!"

He thanked the organization, Pegula family, staff, players, and fans for their passion.

Some players showed frustration online. Defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and DaQuan Jones posted on Instagram stories after the news. General manager Brandon Beane, hired months after McDermott in 2017, moves up to president of football operations and will lead the coaching search.

What This Means

The firing puts pressure on building around Josh Allen as he hits 30. The Bills must find a coach who can turn regular-season strength into postseason breakthroughs, especially on the road and against the run. Retaining Beane signals continuity in personnel, but the new hire will shape the defense and playoffs.

Buffalo's defense has been reliable at home but leaky away, a pattern to fix. The rushing title shows offensive promise, but Allen's sack total points to protection issues. With five straight division titles under McDermott, the East remains winnable, but Kansas City looms large in the AFC.

Fans have stuck by the team through highs and near-misses. McDermott often said he wanted his squads to match their toughness. Now, the search starts for someone to end the Super Bowl wait, which dates back decades. Pegula's push for change aims to break the cycle of divisional stops and championship heartbreaks.