Sean McDermott officially left the Buffalo Bills. The head coach saw his nine-year tenure end after a Divisional Round loss against the Denver Broncos. Despite many improvements during his time with the Bills and eight playoff appearances over nine seasons, the lack of a Super Bowl did not help his case.
Could Sean McDermott Become The New Cleveland Browns Head Coach?
McDermott had a productive stint with the Bills in many ways. While it’s true that he failed to win a championship with Josh Allen, he turned the franchise around. Before his arrival in 2017, the Bills had not made the playoffs since 1999. Now, they have missed the postseason only once, in 2018, Allen’s rookie year.
Franchises that require a hard reset will consider McDermott as a potential target. This includes the Cleveland Browns, who need a new head coach following the dismissal of Kevin Stefanski.
Mary Kay Cabot raised the possibility on Monday, remembering how they looked at him in previous hiring cycles.
Another shocker. Will the #Browns be interested? They’ve liked him in the past. https://t.co/IM3dzxkcPJ
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 19, 2026
The Browns have a few targets scheduled for second interviews, including Jim Schwartz and Grant Udinski. McDermott could be a new possibility after the recent developments. There are now eight head coach openings to be decided, and he’ll certainly earn a look from most of the franchises.
McDermott had an excellent 98-50 record during his nine years with the Bills. He also had an 8-8 record in the playoffs, including multiple AFC Championship Game appearances. Four of his six most recent playoff losses came against the Kansas City Chiefs, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting the best of Josh Allen every time.
At this point, the Browns have interviewed nine candidates. Grant Udinski, Jesse Minter, Nate Scheelhaase, Mike McDaniel, Todd Monken, Aden Durde, Dan Pitcher, Jim Schwartz, and Tommy Rees. The latter two names were part of the Browns’ staff in recent years: Schwartz was the defensive coordinator, Rees the offensive coordinator.
The background should be a factor in the hire. Our PFSN Offense Impact Metric puts the Browns at No. 32, literally the worst in the league. The lack of a consistent quarterback has hampered the team over the past three seasons, and they are unlikely to land a star this offseason.
Curiously, McDermott was fired while general manager Brandon Beane, who also joined the team in 2017, remains with the team. He was promoted to President of Football Operations along with his general manager title.
