Sean McDermott has been the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for the past 9 years, but that will no longer be the case. He was officially fired during the 2026 NFL offseason after another playoff run fell short of making it to the Super Bowl. The franchise also announced that they will keep general manager Brandon Beane, and a former running back of theirs ripped them for this decision.
Why Does a Former Bills Star Take Issue With Keeping Brandon Beane After Firing Sean McDermott?
McDermott made it to the NFL Playoffs in eight of his nine seasons as the Bills head coach and won at least one game in six of those postseason appearances. The issue is that he has only won multiple playoff games in the same postseason twice and has been unable to win an AFC Championship.
This likely played a major role in the Bills’ decision to move on from him during the 2026 offseason as they look to get over the hump with Josh Allen, the defending NFL MVP. Former running back LeSean McCoy took issue with their approach that included firing McDermott, but not Beane, despite their shortcomings in roster construction.
“Wait, wait. So the GM stays after all these non-talented rosters and absolutely no help for Josh on offense or defense? Lol, only in the NFL,” questioned McCoy.
Wait wait so the GM stays after all these non talented rosters and absolutely NO HELP for Josh on offense or defense lol only in THE NFL https://t.co/fCYKhD9S0g
— LeSean Shady Mccoy (@CutonDime25) January 19, 2026
Creating even more controversy around this situation is not only the Bills’ decision to retain Beane, but they are actually giving him a promotion as well. NFL insider Tom Pelissero followed up with a report that owner Terry Pegula announced Beane will take on a larger role, with an additional job title, in his current position as general manager.
“Terry Pegula announces not only is Sean McDermott out as head coach, but Brandon Beane has been promoted to President of Football Operations/General Manager and will oversee the coaching staff,” reported Pelissero.
Terry Pegula announces not only is Sean McDermott out as head coach, but Brandon Beane has been promoted to President of Football Operations/General Manager and will oversee the coaching staff — a new vertical reporting structure. https://t.co/uqkYgtReE9
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2026
McCoy’s point is that Allen has been one of the best overall players in the NFL, as demonstrated by winning an MVP award and having sustained success in his playoff appearances, but Beane hasn’t done a good enough job building the roster around him. Allen has finished among the top three quarterbacks in each of the past six seasons in PFSN’s Impact Rankings, so McCoy seems to have a strong point.
Pegula apparently disagrees, as promoting Beane suggests that he believes in his overall approach to helping the Bills achieve their Super Bowl goals. Beane will now be tasked with finding the next head coach to replace McDermott, a pivotal step on their quest of potentially making that leap.
