After nine falls with Buffalo, Sean McDermott will not be on a sideline in 2026 following his firing as Bills head coach in January.
McDermott, 52, may have a break for the coming season. But he could be a hot name for the 2027 coaching cycle.
He said in an interview with the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday that he “absolutely” wants to coach again.
“I love coaching,” McDermott said. “Love it.
“I think [I miss] just being a part of something bigger, being a part of a team,” McDermott added. “I’ve been — we all have been — parts of teams since we were this tall, and you get a chance to do that for a job. And then now, you’re in a year where, for myself, it’s a year off, right? But it’s also a year of opportunity, in a lot of ways, to grow and lean in on my family, as we already talked about. But I think more than anything, it’s just being a part of a team.”
McDermott went on to joke that his family might already be getting a little tired of him around the house.
“And then what happens with that … is the calendar year and the schedule that comes from that,” McDermott said. “Being around that for 20-plus years, you get so accustomed to it — hey, this is a time of year I should be doing this. And the family does as well.
“So, I think they’re ready to [say], ‘Hey dad, stop leaning in and back off a little bit,’ maybe,” McDermott continued with a chuckle. “But that’s natural.”
As for 2026, McDermott noted he has some irons in the fire for a potential media job.
“Looking into that,” McDermott said. “We’ve got some suitors and kind of trying to schedule it all out and see where it goes.”
McDermott accumulated a 98-50 regular-season record and an 8-8 postseason record in his nine seasons as Bills head coach.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Monday that his surgically repaired foot is doing well, but that isn’t the only reason he’s feeling strong as he heads into the 2026 season.
Allen’s wife gave birth to their first child earlier this month and Allen said that he has already noticed an internal shift since becoming a father.
“I think it definitely changes the mindset a little bit. I am very excited,” Allen said, via the team’s website. “I do think this is going to be the best version of myself in all aspects in my professional career and my personal life. . . . “That ‘want to win’ will never change. The ‘why I want to do it’ has. So why I want to do it and to show my family, to show my daughter how hard you need to work in order to accomplish something so great. And as long as I play this game, that’s going to be my mindset.”
Allen has had plenty of high points during his first eight seasons, including an MVP award, but the Bills haven’t been able to reach their goal of winning a Super Bowl. If that changes this year, Allen’s move into fatherhood will be celebrated in Buffalo for quite a while.
Cornerback Tre’Davious White remains a free agent, but he could still wind up back where he played in 2025.
White spent seven seasons with the Bills before moving on to split the 2024 season between the Rams and Ravens. He returned to Buffalo last April and started all 18 games he played over the regular season and playoffs.
During a Monday press conference, Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said that the team is open to bringing the veteran back although nothing is likely to happen until they get through the draft.
“Yeah, I mean, we love Tre’Davious,” Beane said. “I think at this point, you know, we’re waiting through the draft and probably he is as well. You would never close the door on bringing a guy like Tre back here to Buffalo.”
White had 46 tackles and an interceptions over his 18 appearances last season.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is at work in the Bills’ offseason program with no limitations, three months after foot surgery.
Allen needed the procedure to repair a broken bone in his right foot, and he said today that he can do everything.
“It feels really good right now and I don’t feel like I have any limitations,” Allen said.
Allen suffered the injury planting his foot in an attempt to avoid Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, but he said doctors told him he had a pre-existing condition and that surgery was eventually going to be necessary.
“When you see Myles Garrett barreling down at you, it’s no fun. I tried to put my foot into the ground,” Allen said. “It was a previous deal I never knew I had and it knocked it loose — a piece of bone was floating there.”
Now, Allen says, it’s a distant memory and he’s ready to go.
Bills defensive lineman DeWayne Carter says there’s no doubt he’ll be good to go for training camp.
Carter said on the Centered on Buffalo podcast that recovery from the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2025 season has gone well and he feels ready to return.
“I’m eight months post-op now, so I feel strong,” Carter said.
Asked if he’ll be ready for training camp, Carter answered, “Yeah, yep, I’ll be ready to go.”
Carter, a third-round pick in 2024, indicated that he thinks the defense being installed by new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard may be better for a defensive lineman with his versatility, with the ability to play tackle or end.
“I think with that 3-4 element that we have now it’s going to be interesting to see,” Carter said. “Learn every spot and we’ll figure out where to go from there.”
