Bills owner Terry Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane addressed the media on Wednesday morning to discuss the decision to relieve Sean McDermott of his head coaching duties. The press conference also covered the search for a new head coach, aspirations for a Super Bowl in Buffalo, and an update on quarterback Josh Allen.
Explaining the move, Pegula recounted his visit to the locker room after the team’s overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional round. “The first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying. I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches’,” Pegula said. “(Josh Allen) had given everything he had to try to win that game, and looking around, so did all the other players on the team. I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain.”
Pegula pointed out that over seven seasons under McDermott, Buffalo repeatedly fell short of reaching a Super Bowl. “I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall year after year,” Pegula said. “13 seconds, missed field goals, ‘the catch’.” He stated that both recent results and recurring postseason disappointments led him to make this decision alone: “It’s been one year after another, and that was the sense of, how do we overcome this? And I just couldn’t see us doing that with Sean. That’s why I relieved him. It’s not an easy decision.” He added: “I made the decision, and it is my decision.”
Beane clarified that neither Allen nor any other player influenced Pegula’s choice: “Terry’s decision came on Monday, or that’s when we were informed of his decision. So the players had already left.” Pegula confirmed he spoke privately with Allen after announcing McDermott’s dismissal but emphasized no player input factored into it.
Reflecting on McDermott’s tenure, both executives expressed gratitude for his nine years as head coach. “We all remember the playoff drought before Sean got here,” Pegula said. “Sean has definitely left the Buffalo Bills in a better place than when he arrived in 2017. He gave his heart and soul to trying to win a championship. I gave Sean his first head coaching job, and I’m proud of that…I don’t think he’s done coaching in this league, and I wish him the best.”
Beane highlighted their shared accomplishments since joining forces in 2017: “That connection and that relationship factored into us building nine seasons here,” Beane said. “A lot of accomplishments together…Sean is a heck of a football coach, and we’ll always root for him and his family.”
McDermott leaves with a 98-50 regular season record over nine seasons—second-most wins among NFL teams since 2017—and eight playoff victories during that span.
On future ambitions for Buffalo’s franchise, Pegula referenced recent playoff seedings as evidence of consistent success: “The bottom line is success over a long period of time means we’re doing something right,” he said. “We are focused on bringing a Super Bowl to Buffalo.” Both leaders stressed confidence in quarterback Josh Allen as central to those efforts.
Allen recently completed his eighth NFL season with career-highs in completion percentage (69.3%) and yards per pass attempt (8.0). The offense ranked fourth league-wide last season by points per game (28.3) and total yards per game (376.3). Since 2020, Buffalo leads all teams averaging 29 points per game; Allen has also recorded more wins than any other quarterback during this stretch.
Beane explained priorities for building around Allen start with offensive line improvements while seeking balance across positions: “The number one thing I always want to do with Josh Allen is protect him,” Beane said.
Regarding next steps for hiring a new head coach, Beane described it as an open search involving multiple stakeholders including himself; owner Terry Pegula; president of business operations Pete Guelli; assistant GMs Brian Gaine and Terrance Gray; Laura Pegula; as well as input from starting quarterback Josh Allen.
“The starting quarterback will be part of the team to help select a new coach,” Pegula noted.
Both executives acknowledged risk involved following consecutive playoff appearances but remain optimistic about attracting top candidates: “I’m looking forward to having a successful coaching search,” Pegula said.
Beane outlined key qualities sought in candidates—leadership beyond play-calling ability—and confirmed operational continuity moving forward: “At the end of the day we’re going to work together…Nothing is really going to change from that standpoint.”
Finally, Beane provided an update on Josh Allen’s health following late-season injuries including foot issues: “He could have to have something done to his foot potentially here soon,” Beane stated but added recovery would not impact offseason workouts if surgery occurs.
