Western New York has seen a lot of success since Sean McDermott arrived. The Buffalo Bills have regained notoriety, reclaiming their dominance in the AFC.
Much of this is attributed to the head coach. McDermott has an 86-45 record in eight years as head coach, taking the Bills to two AFC Championship games during that span.
Granted, the Bills’ acquisition of Josh Allen has a significant impact here. However, Buffalo now has a far different atmosphere than it had a decade ago.
The revival has been fantastic. Even better, the AFC East has been dominated for five years running. However, there is one tarnish on McDermott’s legacy with the Bills.
Buffalo last competed in the Super Bowl in 1994. With the club having never won a Super Bowl, fans are eager for the squad to make amends, return to the big game, and achieve the holy grail.
If Buffalo falls short again, some believe the Bills should consider a change in leadership. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports named McDermott as one of his coaches with the hottest seats moving into the next season.
“Under McDermott, Buffalo has been unable to overcome adversity, win the conference, and advance to the Super Bowl for a chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy. The Kansas City Chiefs, like most other NFL clubs, have been Buffalo’s major stumbling block, losing to them in four of its last five playoff appearances.
“If he cannot break through that ceiling yet again in 2025, it may force the Buffalo brass to seriously consider finding a new leader who may have a better chance to take the franchise up a notch.”
Is it fair to put McDermott on the hot seat now, given everything he has accomplished? From that perspective, no. That is not the only aspect to be considered here.
Allen is entering his prime years, and if the goal is to maximize their championship window, he must be priority number one. The Bills cannot prolong McDermott’s tenure in the hopes that things will change when it just will not.
Nonetheless, it’s a difficult situation—because McDermott has done enough to earn patience and the opportunity to turn things around. However, if the Bills fall short again, his trust will be put to the ultimate test.