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The Buffalo Bills’ decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott after an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the playoffs drew rebukes from a Super Bowl champion.
Bruce Arians, who guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title during the 2020 season, ripped the Bills organization for the decision Tuesday.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on May 1, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“This one perplexes me,” Arians said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “How Brandon Beane was brought up and Sean McDermott was fired, it blows my mind, because they didn’t have any damn players.
“This guy is one of the best coaches in the league and a great leader of men. He brought this team as close as possible – he couldn’t beat (Patrick) Mahomes. He didn’t throw a damn interception and the refs screwed him up badly and he got fired. I mean, come on man. And Brandon Beane gets a damn raise? I don’t understand that one. That one blows my mind.”
The Bills failed to return to the AFC Championship Game after losing to the Broncos in overtime, following a controversial interception call. The loss marked another blow to McDermott’s tenure as head coach of the Bills.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field against the Denver Broncos at Mile High on January 17, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
Bills quarterback’s wife pens heartfelt social media post to coach Sean Mcdermott’s family.
McDermott accepted the job before the start of the 2017 season. Since then, Buffalo has only finished below .500 once. He helped the Bills reach the playoffs in eight of nine seasons. The team appeared in the conference title game twice but never returned to the Super Bowl.
NFL fans were convinced that the Bills could have been Super Bowl contenders heading into the 2025 season. The Bills’ chances improved when their nemesis, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, lost the season due to a knee injury.
Buffalo failed to win the AFC East – falling to the New England Patriots. They reached the playoffs via wild card and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars by three points. But the loss to the Broncos ultimately doomed McDermott’s tenure as head coach.
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 26, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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McDermott was 98-50 as head coach of the Bills. He was 8-8 in the playoffs and only missed the playoffs once.
