Bills were right to push for change, but firing the wrong person now raises uncomfortable questions
Brandon Beane should have been on the hot seat, not Sean McDermott.
The Buffalo Bills have fired head coach Sean McDermott. Ian Rapoport broke the news on X, shaking up the NFL landscape with the decision. McDermott wasn’t perfect, but this move seems out of left field. If anything, we had expected general manager Brandon Beane to get the boot, not McDermott.
The news comes after the team’s divisional-round loss, due to a few questionable calls from the officiating crew. McDermott went out with a bang, ferociously tearing into the officials over a controversial ruling of an interception during the overtime period. It was his final statement as a member of the Buffalo Bills, and one that fans won’t soon forget.
It’s surprising because most of the issues, at least this season, were completely out of McDermott’s control. It wasn’t as though the defense had a total collapse down the stretch, and that some bad calls from McDermott cost them the game. It has happened in the past with some playoff appearances, but this season felt more like poor roster management and McDermott fighting tirelessly to get production from guys lower on the depth chart due to injuries.
Brandon Beane has failed the Buffalo Bills, at least as of late
Speaking of poor roster management, more specifically roster construction, one wild stat showcases just how poorly Beane has handled maintaining and building the roster.
As ESPN’s Benjamin Solak Tweeted, since drafting Josh Allen in 2018, the Bills have selected 56 players, and only two of them have made Pro Bowls: Running back James Cook and tight end Dawson Knox. Yes, the Pro Bowl shouldn’t matter, but it’s just another indictment of how Beane has left much to be desired with his selections.
In the 2025 NFL Draft alone, Beane spent the first five picks on defensive selections. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston was injured and couldn’t play in the postseason. Defensive tackle T.J. Sanders had been ascending, but really didn’t do anything in the postseason, either.
Edge Landon Jackson couldn’t see the field in nearly any capacity except for when Buffalo desperately needed a body, and he suffered a major knee injury after just a few snaps. Defensive tackle Deone Walker was an excellent selection, no notes. And safety Jordan Hancock was forced to fill in through some pivotal moments, but still needs time to grow.
All of that to be said, it’s a lot of money spent on one side of the football for there to be little to no impact when it matters most. Hindsight is 20/20, but maybe not waiting until the fifth round to get a weapon for Allen would’ve been the way to go.
Brandon Beane deserves criticism, too
Beane deserves his fair share of criticism for what he has built in Buffalo, and the difficult cap situation the team finds itself in. The team spent valuable draft capital and offseason money to try to bolster the defensive front for Buffalo, only to have virtually no impact in the loss to the Denver Broncos.
Signing Greg Rousseau to a massive extension, invisible in the postseason. Bringing in Joey Bosa to be a disruptor on the edge, invisible in the postseason. In fact, it’s been a recurring theme for Buffalo in the playoffs under the Beane era. The last time a defensive end got a sack in the postseason was Jerry Hughes in 2020, despite spending so much time and effort to make a difference in that area specifically.
After the draft, Beane went viral with his attack on a local Buffalo radio show, fighting back at the claim that Buffalo should’ve gotten Allen some additional weapons through the draft. Well, after the season has come to a close, that was one of the other biggest issues plaguing this roster: The lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver.
Once again, looking at the guys that Beane has brought in, it leaves much to be desired. Signing Curtis Samuel to a somewhat big contract, and the dude can’t even see the field. Signing Josh Palmer to a deal in the offseason bore almost no fruit, as he didn’t even have a touchdown during his first year with the Bills and was injured for the postseason. And then, of course, there is the selection of Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions and, when he has been active, hasn’t been a difference-maker in the slightest.
Beane has made plenty of good decisions throughout his tenure, but his misses are amplified, especially after the controversial decision to part ways with McDermott.
The season didn’t end in a Super Bowl for Buffalo because of McDermott’s shortcomings; it ended because of Beane’s poor roster construction, as the same issues reappeared in the loss to the Broncos. If anyone should’ve been on the chopping block, it should’ve been Beane.
Buffalo Bills News
Josh Allen and Bills enter a new era after Buffalo fires Sean McDermott
The Buffalo Bills are moving on from head coach Sean McDermott in a shocking turn of events.
