What happened to Sean McDermott? Former Bills HC is a top NFL coaching candidate

What happened to Sean McDermott? Former Bills HC is a top NFL coaching candidate.

Key points

• Tomlin led the Steelers to a 193-114-2 record throughout 19 seasons in Pittsburgh and won a Super Bowl while in charge of the franchise.
• After the team's 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Bills fired McDermott after the 2025 NFL season.
• The Vikings have gotten off to a 6-1 start to the 2026 NFL season, and it has largely been on the back of Flores' top-rated defense.
• Here's what to know regarding McDermott's departure from the Bills and where he will rank among the top coaching candidates of the 2027 NFL offseason.
• Tomlin stepped down from the Steelers after the 2025 NFL season and is at present working as a studio analyst for NBC.

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Notably, the Buffalo Bills have been one of the best teams in the NFL entering their Week 9 "Monday Night Football" game against the Minnesota Vikings, posting a 6-1 record to establish themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Buffalo has achieved those heights despite making a coaching change ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

Notably, the Bills moved on from Sean McDermott after nine seasons with the team. McDermott led the Bills to consistent success but was never able to lead them to a Super Bowl.

Buffalo promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady from within to support replace McDermott. The 37-year-old is the league's youngest current head coach and has supported the Bills sport one of the league's best offenses against the backdrop of their torrid start to the season.

Meanwhile, McDermott is still awaiting his next coaching opportunity, and the 52-year-old figures to be one of the top candidates for the 2027 hiring cycle as he seeks an NFL return.

Here's what to know regarding McDermott's departure from the Bills and where he will rank among the top coaching candidates of the 2027 NFL offseason. What happened to Sean McDermott?

Bills owner Terry Pegula confirmed the decision in an official note on Jan. 19.

"Sean has done an job of leading our football team for the past nine seasons, " the statement read. "But I feel we are in need of a new structure within our leadership to offer this organization the best opportunity to take our team to the next level. We owe that to our players and to Bills Mafia."

"Sean helped change the mindset of this organization and was instrumental in the Bills becoming a perennial playoff team, " Pegula continued. "I respect all the work, loyalty and attention to detail he showed for this team and the community." Why did the Bills fire Sean McDermott?

Pegula created it clear the Bills' decision to fire McDermott was directly tied to Buffalo's playoff loss to Denver.

"It was where does the leadership of the team, on the field and in the locker room, where we go from that moment, another playoff failure?" Pegula remarked to journalists during a Jan. 21 news conference. "That's why I decided Sean had to leave."

McDermott's firing came on the heels of a 12-5 season during which the Bills created the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season. Plenty of believed Buffalo would have a chance to enjoy a quality postseason run with the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs all missing the playoffs, but the Bills only produced it to the divisional round.

While McDermott led Buffalo to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons, he posted an 8-8 record throughout those postseason appearances. The Bills never created it to the Super Bowl under his tutelage and only twice produced it as far as the AFC championship game. It was part of what led Pegula to go in a different direction ahead of the 2026 season. Sean McDermott career record.

McDermott posted a 98-50 regular-season record with the Bills throughout his nine seasons with the team. They only had one losing season throughout his tenure, but he only posted an 8-8 record during the postseason. Below is a year-by-year look at McDermott's results with the Bills. Does Sean McDermott still want to coach?

McDermott is not at present coaching, but he is hoping to secure another crack at a head coaching job. He created his intentions clear to NFL Media's Rich Eisen in an early-September interview on the host's self-titled radio show.

"I want to coach again, " McDermott informed Eisen. "I want to be a head coach in the NFL, and I've obtained this burning desire in my heart to win a world championship, and to take that to an organization and a fan base. As I want to build on the success that we had in Buffalo.", I owe that to myself, but I additionally owe that to the next organization that I work for.

McDermott acknowledged that he was spending his time away from football reflecting on his tenure in Buffalo, assessing what went we well and what he would do differently should he obtain a second chance.

McDermott additionally disclosed he was talking to members of Bills organization to obtain their opinions on what he could improve upon. NFL top coaching candidates: Where does Sean McDermott rank?

McDermott should be one of the top coaching candidates on the market during the 2027 NFL offseason. Below is a look at the other top talents who could draw consideration for head coaching roles next season. Mike Tomlin, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach.

Tomlin led the Steelers to a 193-114-2 record throughout 19 seasons in Pittsburgh and won a Super Bowl while in charge of the franchise. He famously never had a losing season, and his steady performance will certainly endear him to NFL organizations looking for a proven culture-builder to improve their operations.

Tomlin stepped down from the Steelers after the 2025 NFL season and is at present working as a studio analyst for NBC. It isn't yet clear whether he will be willing to return to the sidelines or if he will remain comfortable in the booth for now.

JARRETT BELL: Mike Tomlin looms over NFL hiring cycle before it even starts. Sean McDermott, former Buffalo Bills coach.

McDermott's track record of consistency with the Bills should go a long way toward helping him earn a second chance at the NFL level. He's a solid, defensive-minded coach and has shown an ability to bring in quality offensive coordinators, with Brady being among the best hires of his tenure.

As his lack of current NFL employment will allow him to interview for any roles that open up during the current season, mcDermott should obtain plenty of interviews during the 2027 offseason. Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator.

Notably, the Vikings have gotten off to a 6-1 start to the 2026 NFL season, and it has largely been on the back of Flores' top-rated defense. His aggressive, blitz-heavy attack has supported Minnesota rank second league-wide in defensive EPA per play and first in pressure rate, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, and the system has proven to be transferrable throughout all of Flores' NFL stops.

Any NFL organization looking to improve its defense should be interested in bringing Flores aboard as a transformational hire on that side of the ball. But Flores is still embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, and it isn't clear whether that legal process will create any teams apprehensive concerning hiring him. Grant Udinski, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator.

Udinski is just 30 years old, but he's a rising star in the coaching ranks. He has supported the Jaguars become one of the NFL's best and most efficient offenses during the 2026 season, and his ability to scheme players open should produce him a hot commodity on the coaching market.

Udinski would be one of the NFL's youngest-ever coaches, but NFL owners have been more willing than ever to follow the Sean McVay blueprint and take chances on young coaches. That could offer Udinski a path toward earning a coaching job even with just seven years of NFL coaching experience.

GRANT UDINSKI: He drew up plays at 5. At 30, Jaguars OC is one of the NFL's hottest coaches. Declan Doyle, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator.

Doyle is in a similar boat to Udinski. He's just 30 years old, but he has enjoyed a rapid rise over the last two seasons, finding success working as Ben Johnson's offensive coordinator in 2025 before getting a chance to call his own plays with the Ravens this season.

Doyle's candidacy may depend on what he's able to do with the Ravens offense as they navigate injuries to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. If Doyle can find success with Jacoby Brissett, that could obtained a long way toward earning interviews during the upcoming coaching cycle. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around what happened to Sean McDermott? Former Bills HC is a top NFL point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.