For a seventh straight season, the Buffalo Bills reached the playoffs. And for a seventh straight year, the team led by Sean McDermott did not reach the Super Bowl. While the 51-year-old has been one of the better coaches in franchise history and has seven double-digit win seasons under his belt, his time in New York is likely over.
Despite having a lead late in the fourth and a chance to win the game in overtime, the Bills saw their season come to a frustrating end on Saturday night against the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. In a month where Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh saw their legendary runs end after not living up to expectations, it would be surprising if Buffalo retained the services of McDermott.
With the Bills likely to move on from their head coach in the next few days, we look at five replacement options, including the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach.
Mike McDaniel, Former Dolphins Head Coach
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is set to interview with the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. While he may not excite Bills fans, he is a hot candidate for head coach and offensive coordinator jobs around the league because his offensive mind is still highly regarded around the NFL.
Considering what he did with Tua Tagovailoa, pairing him with Josh Allen could lead to Buffalo having an offensive juggernaut that carries them to the Super Bowl in 2026.
Mike McCarthy, Former Cowboys Head Coach
Because of the Dallas Cowboys’ high standard and desperation to get back to the Super Bowl, Mike McCarthy’s winning 12 games for three straight seasons wasn’t enough in Big D. The standard in Buffalo is sky high because they have one of the very best QBs in the game. However, the difference between him and McDermott is that he developed a young QB (Aaron Rodgers) and took him all the way to a Super Bowl win.
McCarthy did great things with Dak Prescott. Allen is better, and that could be the difference between falling short of high expectations and winning a second Super Bowl.
Mike Tomlin, Former Steelers Head Coach
Tomlin reportedly doesn’t want to coach in 2026 after stepping down from the top job with the Steelers last week. Nevertheless, the Bills should inquire about his interest in taking over their program.
His resume is undeniable and includes a Super Bowl win. The difference between his first 10 years and his last nine is having Ben Roethlisberger as QB. When he had a talented signal caller, he was often in Super Bowl contention. Working with Allen could be the thing that gets both of them a championship in 2026.
It will cost the Bills draft assets to get him in a trade. But it’s worth it because they aren’t one good player away from a Super Bowl trip, they are one good coach.
Brian Flores, Vikings Defensive Coordinator
Despite his previous lawsuit against the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has elevated his status around the game in a major way over the last two years by turning the Vikes D into a top unit. What also helps is that he has previous head coach experience and did a solid job during his three seasons with the Dolphins. Winning 10 and 9 games in his final two years.
Flores deserves a second chance and could become an elite coach in the game by having an elite QB at his disposal.
Mike LaFleur, Rams Offensive Coordinator
Los Angeles Rams OC Mike LaFleur has drawn interest from teams around the league with his impressive work turning their offense into an elite group again over the last two years. He has a ton of experience as a coach on offense in the NFL, and being part of the Sean McVay coaching tree has elevated his status around the game.
Getting a coach who can continue to maximize the talents of Allen will be a priority. LaFleur can do that and bring some of his Los Angeles staff members with him.
