Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

NFL insider reveals next step for Bills ex-head coach Sean McDermott

By Conor Killmurray | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 8:38 AM ET

The NFL coaching carousel has been at high speed this season, with a record-tying 10 firings of head coaches. Among those firings have been well-respected coaches who couldn't survive the frustrations of their fanbases and ownership.

For example, ex-Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was fired after nine years guiding the Bills' rebuild alongside quarterback Josh Allen. But after another controversial early exit from the postseason, the Bills decided to move on.

McDermott is 98-50 as a head coach, and with four head-coaching jobs remaining, he would be a top candidate for a team looking to raise its standards. However, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, McDermott hasn't given any of the four remaining teams looking for a new leader a call.

"He would be one of the top candidates for basically any job around, if he wanted to take one. It remains unclear what Sean McDermott will firmly decide to do, but to my knowledge, he hasn't engaged on any of these openings," Rapoport explained.

"Based on the conversations he's had with the people he's talked with, who have taken a year off after a long head-coaching stint, all have said it was beneficial and worth it. We'll see if that is the way Sean McDermott goes, but I believe it is likely he ends up taking a year off."

Sean McDermott is "likely" to take a year off from coaching, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/XLdRlxLCYj
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 25, 2026

McDermott got his start as an assistant to head coach Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. From 2009-2016, McDermott built a well-regarded resume as a leader and defensive-minded coordinator for the Eagles and then the Carolina Panthers.

Under McDermott, the Bills made the postseason eight times and reached the AFC Championship twice. However, McDermott could never get the team across the finish line and into the Super Bowl. His split with the Bills wasn't mutual, unlike Mike Tomlin's decision to step down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers after 19 years.

Instead, it was characterized by reports of tension between McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane over roster construction. It all came to a head at a strange press conference, with team owner Terry Pegula backing his GM over the head coach and failing to assuage fans' fears about the team's direction.

Still, that's no longer McDermott's responsibility to worry about, and it looks like he'll be trying not to worry about a team for a little bit. A reset could be exactly what he needs, and by the time McDermott is ready to coach, a better situation could be available again.

Conor Killmurray

Conor Killmurray is a long-suffering fan of New York sports, particularly the Giants and Mets—a potent combination for heartbreak, if you ask him. He graduated from West Chester University with a degree in English and enjoys searching for the most interesting sports stories to write about.

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