Many were taken by surprise when the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott following their latest playoff loss. After all, he’d been coming off seven consecutive playoff berths, and the last six included a postseason win each year. That’s not easy to do in the NFL.
Yet, the Bills clearly felt like he wasn’t getting the most out of the roster general manager Brandon Beane built. Some Bills players disagree.
One thing that is clear is that McDermott is a strong candidate to fill one of the NFL’s six remaining head coaching vacancies. Now we know which two could appeal to him the most.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the “teams to watch” to hire McDermott are the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, two bona fide playoff contenders.
Pelissero adds that “it doesn’t make sense for him to go to a total rebuild.” That could keep teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Miami Dolphins away, all of whom still need their franchise quarterback. Though the Steelers still don’t know who their QB will be in 2026 either, as Aaron Rodgers is once again set for free agency.
Evidently, McDermott will likely be in high demand, even if he’s a rather late addition to the coaching carousel. For teams that expect to quickly return to the playoffs in 2026, McDermott may be the best option available.
Related: Teams Who Should Rush to Hire Sean McDermott Right Now
