Bills Fire McDermott After Nine Seasons, Promote Beane to Lead Search

The Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons, marking a significant shift in the franchise's direction. Owner Terry Pegula announced the decision on Monday, just two days after the team's 33-30 divisional round playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. The move comes as the organization looks to finally reach a Super Bowl with quarterback Josh Allen, who won the 2024 MVP award and turns 30 this May.

Pegula confirmed that his decision was directly tied to the loss in Denver. The firing represents a dramatic change for a coach who transformed the Bills franchise and delivered consistent winning, but ultimately could not get the team past the conference championship game.

Background

McDermott arrived in Buffalo in 2017 and immediately began rebuilding a franchise that had endured a 17-year playoff drought. Over his nine seasons, he compiled a 98-50 regular season record and led the Bills to the playoffs in eight of those nine years. The team won five consecutive division titles and reached the AFC Championship Game twice, in 2021 and 2024.

Despite this success, the Bills never advanced to a Super Bowl under McDermott's leadership. The team experienced several heartbreaking playoff losses that defined his tenure, including the infamous "13 Seconds" game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 season and a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. These close defeats accumulated over time, creating a pattern of near-misses that ultimately sealed McDermott's fate.

The organization brought in Josh Allen in 2018, and the quarterback developed into one of the best players in the league under McDermott's guidance. With Allen now in his prime and entering his 30s, the urgency to win a championship has become impossible to ignore.

Key Details

The Promotion and New Structure

Pegula announced that general manager Brandon Beane has been promoted to president of football operations, expanding his responsibilities to oversee all aspects of the football side of the organization. This represents a significant change in how the Bills will operate. Previously, both McDermott and Beane reported directly to Pegula, which the owner felt was not the most effective structure.

Beane will now have full control over the coaching search and the entire football operation. The 49-year-old general manager has been with the Bills since 2017 and will have the authority to implement whatever changes he sees fit with the new head coach.

"I know we can do better, and I know we will do better," Pegula said in his statement about the organization's direction moving forward.

Why Now?

While the loss to Denver served as the immediate catalyst, the decision reflects a deeper assessment of the team's trajectory. The Bills are the only team among six franchises in the Super Bowl era with winning streaks of at least eight seasons that has not made multiple Super Bowl appearances during those stretches. McDermott won 10 or more games in seven consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL at the time of his firing, yet the team could not break through.

The organization's recent roster construction has also drawn criticism. High draft picks and free agent signings have not lived up to expectations. Wide receiver Keon Coleman, selected 33rd overall in 2024, has fallen down the depth chart in his second season. Other additions like Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel have not produced the results the team hoped for.

McDermott's final three playoff losses were all decided by three points or fewer, adding to the sense that the team was close but ultimately unable to finish the job. After the 2024 AFC Championship loss, emotions ran high in the locker room. Quarterback Josh Allen broke down in tears after the game, a rare display of emotion from the typically composed star.

What This Means

The Bills face significant challenges as they search for McDermott's replacement. The new coach will inherit a team with Josh Allen at quarterback but also considerable roster gaps. The defensive scheme was built specifically around McDermott's system, leaving holes at safety and linebacker that will need to be addressed.

The wide receiver position remains a major concern heading into the offseason. The team must find a way to provide better receiving options for Allen while operating under salary cap constraints. Beane will be tasked with both finding a new head coach and rebuilding key areas of the roster.

McDermott's departure also marks the end of an era for the Bills franchise. He is the only coach in NFL history to win eight playoff games without appearing in a Super Bowl. Allen, meanwhile, shares that same distinction as a player. The combination of elite quarterback play and consistent regular season success without a championship has created pressure on the organization to make a change.

The promotion of Beane gives him the authority to reshape the football operation under a new coach. Whether this structural change, combined with a fresh coaching perspective, will finally get the Bills to the Super Bowl remains to be seen. What is certain is that with Allen's window narrowing, the organization believes the time for change is now.