Sean McDermott’s bosses couldn’t handle the truth.
The Bills fired McDermott on Monday, two days after the team’s overtime playoff loss to the Broncos to end their season — and five weeks after the then head coach vented to GM Brandon Beane and owner Terry Pegula about roster deficiencies.
WGRZ reported that McDermott “pointed out what the roster lacked to win a Super Bowl… I’m told neither Beane nor Pegula was pleased with McDermott’s assessment.”
NFL Network confirmed that there was dissension among the Bills’ decision-makers.
“McDermott himself had some questions about how much talent the Bills had,” reporter Ian Rapoport said. “I’m not sure that sat well in the building.”
Along with McDermott’s firing, Beane was promoted to the President of Football Operations, something you rarely see when a team or organization falls short of their goals.
McDermott led the Bills to the playoffs in eight of nine seasons with the Bills, and despite the last several years being Super Bowl or bust, he couldn’t quite get over the Patrick Mahomes hump as they were eliminated by the Chiefs in four of five seasons from 2020 to 2024.
The Bills certainly had talent on their roster during that time, with a strong offensive line paired with superstar quarterback Josh Allen and rushing leader James Cook.
However, a lack of top receiver has been glaring for the Bills since they moved on from Stefon Diggs ahead of the 2024 season.
Beane traded the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the rival Chiefs, who drafted speedy receiver Xavier Worthy, and wound up drafting bust Keon Coleman No. 33 overall just six picks later.
With McDermott out of his job in Buffalo, he immediately becomes a candidate for the remaining jobs.
The Titans, Dolphins, Falcons, and Giants have all filled their vacancies leaving the Cardinals. Browns, Steelers, Raiders, and Ravens still available.
The Bills certainly missed out on some strong candidates to replace McDermott, as John Harbaugh landed with the Giants and Kevin Stefanski moved on to the Falcons.
The Bills head into the offseason looking for a coach to get them over the hump, but Beane looks likely to maintain player personnel decisions given his promotion after a disappointing end to the season.
