If the Buffalo Bills are ready to swing big in the post-Sean McDermott era, Rex Ryan has one name in mind: Bill Belichick.
The Bills officially parted ways with McDermott on Monday morning, closing the book on a nine-year run that saw the franchise go from perennial underachievers to consistent playoff contenders. But despite the rise, the ultimate goal - a Super Bowl - remained elusive. And after a crushing overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, one that left quarterback Josh Allen visibly emotional, the organization is now staring down its most pivotal coaching decision in years.
Enter Belichick, a name that needs no introduction. And according to Ryan, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is exactly the kind of proven leader Buffalo needs to finally get over the hump.
“Get the guy that has proven he can go to the Super Bowl,” Ryan said Monday on ESPN. “That’s the only guy, in my opinion, you replace Sean McDermott with.”
It's a bold endorsement, but not without logic. Belichick’s résumé is unmatched: six Lombardi trophies as head coach of the Patriots, two more as a defensive coordinator, and a legacy of building championship-caliber teams built on discipline, detail, and defense. If the Bills are looking to take the final step, few coaches in NFL history have walked that path more times than Belichick.
Still, there are questions. Belichick hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2023, when he and the Patriots parted ways after a 24-year run.
He interviewed with the Falcons that offseason but didn’t land the job. Instead, he made a surprise move to the college ranks, taking over as head coach at the University of North Carolina.
That stint hasn’t gone smoothly - UNC finished 4-8 in his first year - and the spotlight has often drifted off the field.
But Ryan isn’t just advocating for Belichick to take over the top job in Buffalo. He also floated the idea of bringing back Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator - a reunion that would certainly get Bills fans talking. Daboll, recently let go by the New York Giants, has deep ties to Belichick from his days in New England and is widely credited with helping develop Josh Allen into one of the league’s premier quarterbacks during his previous stint in Buffalo.
The idea of pairing Allen with Belichick and Daboll is tantalizing. Belichick brings the structure and championship pedigree, Daboll brings familiarity and offensive creativity, and Allen brings the elite talent. On paper, it’s a trio that could give Buffalo the edge it’s been chasing for decades.
Of course, there’s history to consider. Belichick spent two decades tormenting the Bills from across the AFC East aisle.
For many fans in Buffalo, he’s long been the face of the enemy. But in the NFL, winning trumps all - and if Belichick can bring a Super Bowl to a city still waiting for its first, the past might be easier to forgive.
The Bills have yet to make any public moves regarding their coaching search, and Belichick, for now, remains without an interview. But if the goal is to win - not just compete, but win it all - then Ryan’s suggestion isn’t just headline fodder. It’s a serious proposition.
Buffalo’s window with Josh Allen is still wide open. The question now is: who’s the right coach to lead them through it?