Sean McDermott hasn't closed the door on another head-coaching job. In an ESPN video, the former Bills coach reflected on his departure from Buffalo and said he hopes to coach again in the NFL.
The move was made official in the offseason, when the Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Buffalo now enters 2026 with a playoff streak of seven straight seasons and a target of eight. The franchise is still looking for its first Super Bowl.
That streak is why McDermott's next chance will come. Teams with playoff rosters and defensive needs have a history of calling coaches with that kind of record. The Bills' own decision to promote Brady is a signal that they believed the problem was structural, not personal.
McDermott's wait could stretch into January. Most talent-strapped teams don't fire coaches in September. When the cycle begins, he'll be one of the few available coaches with a winning résumé. That scarcity works in his favor.
The caveat is age and scheme. He'll need to convince an owner that his defensive identity can coexist with a modern passing game, the same way it needed to evolve in Buffalo. Some will say he already failed that test.
But the alternative view is stronger: McDermott produced seven straight playoff seasons. Most coaches never get one. He'll coach again. Whether it's as a head coach or a coordinator depends on how quickly an owner mistakes him for the missing piece.