The Buffalo Bills became the latest team to go a different direction at head coach when they fired Sean McDermott on Monday morning after nine seasons as their head coach. 10 NFL teams will have a new head coach in 2026, and McDermott joined Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh as coaches of at least nine seasons who will not be returning in 2026.
While McDermott has struggled to get the Bills over the hump, he has had a lot of success as Buffalo’s head coach and figures to be a sought-after option for teams with a vacancy at head coach.
Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers Linked to Sean McDermott
McDermott is 98-50 in the regular season as a head coach and is 8-8 in the Postseason. He has established himself as a winning coach, leading his team to a postseason victory in six consecutive seasons. As a result, he could be highly sought after during the head coach hiring cycle.
Two teams to watch out for in the McDermott sweepstakes are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
“Teams to watch for Sean McDermott, potentially the Steelers, although that would be outside their normal bucket of who they like to hire. Baltimore is certainly one that I could see making a lot of sense,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show.
💻 @TomPelissero
Who’s on #BillsMafia head coach radar after they fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons?#NFL #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/L35OS15kts
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 19, 2026
Pittsburgh and Baltimore are among the most attractive head-coach openings due to their combination of stability and a history of winning. Both teams are looking for a head coach for the first time in a long time, with Tomlin (19 years) and Harbaugh (18 years) having been the longest tenured NFL coaches before this offseason.
Baltimore likely presents the more attractive situation from a team standpoint, with a two-time MVP quarterback in Lamar Jackson already on the roster, as well as a litany of other Pro Bowl-caliber players, such as Kyle Hamilton, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith, Zay Flowers, and others. The Ravens had a down year offensively due to an injury-marred season from Jackson, but assuming Jackson is back healthy, the offense is expected to return to form.
However, Baltimore has had issues defensively, despite having some talented pieces on that side of the ball. The Ravens ranked as the No. 18 defense in PFSN’s Defense Impact Rankings (DEFi), allowing the ninth-most yards per game (354.5) and finishing minus three in turnover margin.
Adding a defensive head coach like McDermott to a roster with defensive talent could help reshape that side of the ball and provide a much more balanced roster for a Baltimore team that has struggled in the postseason in recent years.
Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, adding a head coach with head-coaching experience is uncommon; none of their previous three head coaches had served as a head coach before being hired. However, under Tomlin, the Steelers have not won a postseason game since the 2016 Playoffs, while McDermott has won a playoff game in each of the past 6 seasons.
Pittsburgh also had a down year defensively, ranking No. 16 in DEFi, but has a lot of money and talent invested in that side of the ball. Adding McDermott could be a move that helps them exorcise their playoff demons, while adding a new voice and philosophy to the defensive side of the ball to get the most out of T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen, and company.
It’s unclear whether either team is a match for McDermott, but being paired with Jackson in Baltimore and having the stability of Pittsburgh (three coaches since 1969) makes each an enticing possibility for the 51-year-old coach. He figures to be one of the most sought-after coaches over the next few weeks and will be a name worth monitoring.
