Bills Mafia has spoken — more than 29,000 of them.
In response to Monday’s shock firing of Sean McDermott, one longtime Buffalo fan launched a petition to reinstate the coach, who was relieved of his duties following another early playoff exit.
“The recent decision to fire Sean McDermott has left me and countless others heartbroken and baffled. Sean McDermott has not only been a strategic mastermind behind our team’s recent successes, but he has also been an inspiring leader with a deep commitment to the Buffalo community,” the petition, initiated by Maria Maisonet, read on Change.org.
“… Let’s not allow this decision to dismantle the solid foundation that has been painstakingly built. It is critical to make our voices heard to convince the Buffalo Bills management to reconsider and reinstate Sean McDermott as the head coach.”
Hired in 2017, McDermott posted a 98-50 mark across nine regular seasons and helped mold the Bills into an AFC East powerhouse.
Although he reached the playoffs in eight of his nine years, the Bills only went as far as the AFC Championship.
They reached the divisional round this year and had another gut-punching finish with a 33-30 overtime loss to the Broncos on Saturday.
Bills owner Terry Pegula said Wednesday in a press conference gone awry that the sad state of the locker room postgame pushed him to make a change.
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula began. “I want to take you in the locker room after that game. I looked around. First thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying. I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches. I walked over to Josh [Allen]. He didn’t even acknowledge I was there.
“… I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”
The petition has amassed more than 29,000 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
The Bills have started the process of finding McDermott’s replacement, looking to familiar faces such as offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and former assistant head coach Anthony Lynn.
Buffalo is one of six teams currently searching for a new coach, along with the Raiders, Browns, Steelers, Ravens and Cardinals.
