The Buffalo Bills have made a major move, parting ways with head coach Sean McDermott following yet another gut-wrenching playoff exit. Saturday’s loss to the Denver Broncos in overtime proved to be the final straw in a postseason stretch that’s been defined more by heartbreak than hardware.
The game itself ended in chaos - a controversial interception in overtime that left McDermott visibly stunned on the sideline. He didn’t hold back afterward, taking aim at the officiating in a fiery postgame reaction. But frustration alone wasn’t enough to offset the bigger picture: the Bills, once again, fell short of expectations in January.
McDermott's departure brings an end to a seven-year run that started back in 2017. During his tenure, he helped reshape the franchise into a consistent contender, finishing with a 98-50 regular-season record.
That’s no small feat in a league where sustained success is hard to come by. But for all the wins, the playoff performances never quite matched the promise.
The Bills reached the AFC Championship Game once under McDermott, but repeated early exits - often in dramatic fashion - became a recurring theme.
This latest loss to Denver was emblematic of the larger issues that have haunted Buffalo in recent years: untimely turnovers, questionable decisions, and a sense that the team, despite its talent, couldn’t quite get over the hump. And in a league that lives and dies by postseason results, that matters.
According to reports, McDermott isn’t done coaching. He’s expected to be a candidate for teams currently searching for a head coach, and given his track record of building a winning culture and commanding a locker room, he’ll likely get another shot. The resume speaks for itself - nearly 100 wins, multiple division titles, and a defense that, more often than not, played with discipline and intensity.
But in Buffalo, the search begins now. The Bills are still in their championship window, led by a franchise quarterback and a roster built to win now.
Whoever steps in next will inherit high expectations - and the pressure that comes with them. The pieces are in place.
The question is whether a new voice can finally push this team past the playoff ceiling that proved insurmountable under McDermott.
For now, the Bills close the book on a significant chapter in their modern history. Sean McDermott helped bring relevance and respect back to Buffalo. But in the end, the standard changed - and the results didn’t.