The Buffalo Bills’ decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott after another playoff exit has sparked sharp debate across the NFL, and few reactions were as forceful as Stephen A. Smith’s. Speaking Monday on First Take, Smith argued that McDermott is paying the price for deeper organizational failures and questioned why general manager Brandon Beane not only survived the move but was also put in charge of hiring the next head coach.
Stephen A. Smith Points Finger at Brandon Beane After Sean McDermott Firing
Smith did not hide his frustration with Buffalo’s handling of the situation, framing McDermott’s dismissal as a deflection rather than a solution.
“I don’t like it at all. I think he’s being scapegoated.” 😳@stephenasmith reacts to the Bills moving on from their head coach, Sean McDermott 🏈 pic.twitter.com/YM0R1i9Ikg
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 19, 2026
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. I think he’s being scapegoated,” Smith said. “Why is he the vehicle? Why is he gone and the GM is still keeping his job?”
Smith’s argument centered on roster construction and offensive support around quarterback Josh Allen. While acknowledging Allen’s elite status, Smith stressed that the Bills repeatedly failed to surround him with enough difference-making talent, particularly at wide receiver.
“If the Buffalo Bills had pulled the trigger before the trading deadline and acquired Jaylen Waddle from Miami, what would have happened?” Smith said. “You give Josh Allen that kind of a threat, it changes everything. The man needs help.”
Buffalo fired McDermott following a 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, a game in which the Bills had multiple chances to win. McDermott finishes his tenure with a 98-50 regular-season record and an 8-8 postseason mark. His teams made the playoffs in eight of nine seasons, reached the AFC Championship Game twice, and snapped a 17-year playoff drought in his first year. The Super Bowl, however, never came.
Smith emphasized that context matters. Buffalo reached the divisional round six straight times and twice advanced to the AFC title game, but repeatedly fell short against Kansas City and, most recently, Denver. In Smith’s view, that résumé reflects overachievement rather than underperformance, given the roster limitations.
“We’ve seen this team overachieve throughout this season because we know he didn’t have all the parts necessary,” Smith said. “If you had all the weapons with Josh Allen and don’t get it done, I understand. But that wasn’t the case.”
Since drafting Josh Allen in 2018, the Bills have drafted 56 players.
2 of them (James Cook and Dawson Knox) have made Pro Bowls.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 19, 2026
The numbers bolster Smith’s critique of roster building. Since drafting Allen in 2018, the Bills have selected 56 players. Only two of them, James Cook and Dawson Knox, have earned Pro Bowl honors. That lack of elite offensive reinforcements has placed enormous pressure on Allen to compensate year after year.
Despite that, Beane will now lead Buffalo’s search for a new head coach, a fact Smith found troubling.
“For him to be gone and the GM not only to keep his job, but to lead the coaching search,” Smith said, “I don’t like it at all. I don’t think McDermott deserved this.”
With Allen turning 30 this offseason, Buffalo is betting that a coaching change, rather than a front-office reset, will finally deliver a Super Bowl. Smith made it clear he believes the Bills may have targeted the wrong piece.
