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A Sean McDermott petition to reinstate him as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills is gaining momentum online.
Former Bills head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t been brought up in any coaching searches since Buffalo let him go on Jan. 19. It’s worth noting that the other teams, namely the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders, are still on the lookout for a head coach and are not particularly eager to hire McDermott.
All three teams could have reached out to McDermott to see if he had any interest in coming in for an interview, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be coaching this season.
McDermott Might Not Coach in 2026
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that McDermott is likely not going to take any coaching job this offseason.
“Remains unclear what Sean McDermott will firmly decide to do, but to my knowledge, has not engaged on any of these openings,” Rapoport said, via Ajay Cybulski. “But I believe it is likely he ends up taking a year off.”
McDermott coached the Bills for the past nine seasons, and he might be looking to take a step back and relax before diving into another NFL head coaching position.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sort of did the same thing after the Tennessee Titans let him go after the 2023 season. Instead of jumping back into an NFL head coaching role, he agreed to serve as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns for a season, serving as a coaching and personnel consultant.
Vrabel likely didn’t want to take any of the current head coaching openings during the 2024 season and instead decided to bide his time for an opportunity he truly wanted: the Patriots this past offseason. Even with less than a full season in New England, he’ll be aiming for a Super Bowl trophy.
McDermott could be a Big Name Next Season
McDermott is likely to be one of the hottest coaching candidates on the open market next season, and some significant job opportunities could become available.
The Cincinnati Bengals chose not to part ways with their head coach, Zac Taylor, this offseason. However, if they fail to make the playoffs in the upcoming season, there’s a chance that the Bengals will let him go.
Cincinnati would be the perfect spot for McDermott as he could team up with quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow is on par with Buffalo’s quarterback, Josh Allen, which means that working with Burrow shouldn’t be much of a step down for McDermott.
There’s still an entire football season ahead before McDermott could return as an NFL head coach. However, he might consider following a similar path to Vrabel this year and take on a lower-level role with a team that doesn’t require too much of his time and effort.
Being an NFL head coach is exhausting, and sometimes taking a year off from the game can rejuvenate a coach for a long-term run. McDermott did an excellent job with the Bills, even though he never made it to a Super Bowl. Now, it’s time for him to sit back, relax, and wait for the job he desires to open up in 2027.
Danny Fisher Is a football journalist covering the Buffalo Bills for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL for Gridiron Heroics, focusing on the AFC and Penn State football for Nittany Central. More about Danny Fisher
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