Brandon

Beane

Specifically, Beane said he does not “see any reason why we wouldn’t pick that up,” adding that the Bills’ mission is to help Kincaid stay healthy. We expect them to follow through, but this falls short of a firm commitment. Kincaid has been plagued by injuries during his three years in the NFL and told reporters earlier today that he does not plan to undergo surgery to correct the PCL tear in his knee, instead opting for more rehab. He initially suffered the injury in 2024 and “continued to tweak it in different situations” this season.

McDermott reportedly lost out in a massive power struggle with general manager Brandon Beane, who not only kept his job after assembling a mediocre roster, but was promoted to president of football operations. Beane will oversee the evaluation and hiring of McDermott’s replacement after nine successful years at the helm. Carruci said that during a meeting held five weeks ago between McDermott, Beane and Bills owner Terry Pegula, “the coach pointed out what the roster lacked to win a Super Bowl. I don’t know the specifics McDermott mentioned, but I’m told neither Beane nor Pegula was pleased with McDermott’s assessment.” Having won the power struggle, Beane will now have the chance to shape the franchise in his image as Josh Allen turns 30 in May.

If the decision to retain Beane for next season came as a surprise, then the decision to promote him to President of Football Operations will evoke similar feelings. Beane joined the Bills in 2017, and while the team has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with him calling the shots with roster management, his inability to surround Josh Allen with premium talent is a notable red flag. Beane’s first order of work is finding a new head coach to replace the recently fired Sean McDermott, but the Bills can’t continue with the receiving corps they rolled out in Saturday’s divisional round loss to the Broncos. While the likes of Brandin Cooks and Gabe Davis are almost certain to be let go this offseason, 2024 first-rounder Keon Coleman continues to look like a bust, and Khalil Shakir, while solid, can’t carry the passing game as a low ADOT slot receiver. Beane’s promotion will come with added pressure to get premium talent around Allen, who will be 30 at the start of next season. It goes without saying that the 2026 offseason will be one of the most important offseasons for the Bills in recent memory.

This news comes on the heels of the team’s decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott. Beane, who was hired by the Bills in 2017 and signed a contract extension during the 2023 offseason, will now be tasked with finding the next coach to lead the Bills into next season. Beane’s track record as of late is questionable at best. The Bills’ 2025 draft consisted of five-straight defensive picks before finally selecting tight end Jackson Hawes in the fifth-round, and 2024 first-round receiver Keon Coleman has failed to deliver on his high draft capital. He was also a health scratch for multiple games this season. While Beane has work to do in finding a new head coach, it’s imperative he finds star playmakers to surround Josh Allen with next season after this year’s cast of characters left much to be desired late in the season.

It’s a vote of confidence for McDermott and Beane, who have made the Bills perennial contenders in the tough AFC over the past three seasons. Buffalo has notched 37 regular season wins since 2020, among the most in the NFL. With Josh Allen entering his age-27 season, Beane and McDermott would seem to have at least a few more years in their Super Bowl window.

Beane added that the back needs to be dynamic enough to fit into and help their offense. The Bills have been hailed as one of the more forward-thinking organizations in regards to their understanding of positional value, but they have a tenuous grip on that reputation. Beane has spent two third-round picks on running backs in the past three years and was reportedly interested in Travis Etienne before the Jaguars selected him with the 25th pick. Most draft pundits have Breece Hall as the only back liable to come off the board in the first round. Hall caught 82 passes in college and ran a 4.39-second forty-yard dash. He could be an option when the Bills take the podium for the No. 25 pick next week.

It’s certainly not something the NFL wants team officials to say about the politically contentious issue of vaccinating oneself against a virus that has killed 581,000 people in the US. But NBC Sports’ Peter King reports the league is primed to set a threshold -- an 85 percent vaccination rate among players -- for teams to conduct traditional meetings and practices in 2021. Beane said since “it would be an advantage” to hold pre-COVID meetings and practices, he might make a roster decision based on who is and who is not vaccinated. We could see many borderline players get the boot this summer and fall as teams do whatever they can to avoid the logistical nightmare of 2020 practices.

It’s a very much deserved extension as the team rolls toward another postseason appearance. Hired in 2017, Beane has overseen two playoff teams in Buffalo, along with the team’s first 10-win season of the 21st century. Beane’s gamble on Josh Allen as the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has helped transform the Bills. Allen is top-10 in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating this season. “Brandon is an outstanding leader, and he has brought a great level of stability throughout our organization,” Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula said in a statement. “One of the things we appreciate and respect about Brandon is that he is very thorough in his decision-making process. No decision he makes comes without a great deal of study and research.”

The Bills are looking for someone to work in concert with coach Sean McDermott, and McDermott is looking toward the team he arrived from. It’s been made abundantly clear McDermott is running the show in Buffalo. He wants a personnel man who will do his bidding.

Beane is the first candidate to interview since Doug Whaley was fired. It’s not clear how much control he would have in Buffalo, but he has ties to coach Sean McDermott from their time in Carolina. The Bills have also been linked to Panthers director of personnel Don Gregory and Chiefs co-director of player personnel Brett Veach as Whaley’s replacement.