Just two days after the Buffalo Bills were eliminated from the playoffs, the team announced the shocking move to fire head coach Sean McDermott.
At the helm since 2017, McDermott led the franchise to the playoffs eight times in nine years and won five consecutive AFC East titles. However, for Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, to have zero Super Bowl appearances under his belt, team owner Terry Pegula felt the need to make a serious change.
While McDermott got the axe, the Bills retained general manager Brandon Beane and promoted him to serve as president of football operations — a decision that immediately raised some eyebrows.
While Beane will forever be championed for trading up to select Allen in 2018, his draft record over the past few years, most notably failing to find a No. 1 wide receiver to support Allen, remains a sore spot.
GettyBills general Manager Brandon Beane will also serve as president of football operations.
Firing McDermott wasn’t simply due to the Bills’ 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, arguably the worst postseason performance in Allen’s career. The decision seems to stem from years of failing to reach their goal of making it to the Super Bowl in Allen’s prime.
Allen, who turns 30 this offseason, is expected to play a key role in the Bills’ search for a new head coach. The question is — how much of a role did he have in McDermott getting let go?
Josh Allen Had a ‘Certain Awareness’ in The Bills’ Plan to Fire Head Coach Sean McDermott
GettyBills quarterback Josh Allen with former head coach Sean McDermott.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reported, “McDermott isn’t being fired if quarterback Josh Allen doesn’t have a certain awareness. Allen’s importance in the building cannot be underestimated, and maximizing his prime is a large part of making this move.
“After a very emotional Saturday evening for the franchise quarterback, for the first time, Allen did not have a news conference during the team’s locker room clean out on Sunday, a sign that something was afoot.
“While Allen has spoken well of McDermott publicly, earlier in his career their relationship was not in the best place, but that has improved over the years. Allen is also very close with Beane and that will be a key relationship moving forward here.”
Both Beane and McDermott were guests at Allen’s wedding in May. If there was a recent issue between McDermott and Allen, they kept it from becoming public. If the relationship between McDermott and Beane eroded, it seems Allen placed his trust in the Bills’ longtime GM to make the right call.
Josh Allen May Feel Somewhat Responsible for Sean McDermott’s Firing Based on Previous Comments
GettyBills quarterback Josh Allen took a beating during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at EverBank Stadium on January 11, 2026.
After the Bills fired former offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in the middle of the 2023 season, Allen felt guilty. Following a 24-22 loss to the Broncos that included four turnovers, the Bills gave Dorsey the axe.
“I love Dorsey,” Allen told reporters of Dorsey at the time. “As a human being he’s one of the good ones. He’s been in this room with me for a very long time. I feel like I owe him a lot of the success that I’ve had in my career. He’s been a huge part of that. So, sad to see him go
“The fact is, we play better as a team, we probably don’t have to make a move like that. He’s a big part of what we’ve been doing here the last few years… I’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be better as an offense. Turnover-wise it’s abysmal when we lose, and there’s no secret to that.”
Allen was responsible for four turnovers against the Broncos in the AFC divisional round this past weekend. McDermott is the only head coach Allen’s had since he entered the NFL.
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