Bills Clips
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.”
Sean McDermott did not take another coaching job after being fired by the Bills in the wake of their playoff loss to the Broncos and that’s created more time for the routines of family life that he missed out on while he was the head coach in Buffalo.
McDermott’s days aren’t just about drop-offs, sporting events and getting dinner ready, however. McDermott is watching film and doing research as well as picking the brains of other people as part of a process of “growing and evolving” ahead of any return to the sideline.
Some of those people are in the football world, but McDermott has also spoken to Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable about their experiences in their sports. He’s also set to speak to William & Mary chancellor Robert Gates and attend leadership conferences in other spheres as part of his bid to be a better coach the next time around.
“I could go visit people I know, but I already know what they’re about and what they believe in,” McDermott said, via Mike Jones of TheAthletic.com. “But [I’m] visiting some people that do things a little bit different than maybe I’ve done. . . . It’s this guy that seems to have had success, or this gal’s had success and their personalities may be a little bit different than mine. So, I’d like to get in on the ground floor and just see how they handle the day in and day out and how it translates to the NFL. I don’t think it’s healthy to stop just in sports, but to talk to people in the corporate world, those that are high-level performers, even though it doesn’t directly overlap, there’s correlation. . . . I think going outside of football is healthy and productive and powerful.”
McDermott was 98-50 as Buffalo’s head coach and he led the Bills to eight playoff appearances in nine years, but the team was never able to make it to the Super Bowl. While it remains unclear where his next opportunity will come, McDermott hopes that taking a wide view of what’s next will lead to finally grabbing the brass ring.
The Dolphins hosted defensive end A.J. Epenesa on a free agent visit, according to the NFL’s transactions report on Thursday.
Epenesa agreed to terms with the Browns on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million last month. Epenesa failed his physical, though, and the Browns withdrew the contract.
It is unclear what injury caused the Browns concern.
He had a concussion, a pectoral injury, a foot injury and a neck injury last season. Epenesa still played 16 regular-season games in 2025, recording 32 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
He also played the divisional playoff game despite being listed on the injury report with a neck injury.
A second-round pick in 2020, Epenesa has spent his career with the Bills. He has appeared in 91 regular-season games, with 19 starts, and has totaled 24 sacks.
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
Wide receiver Keon Coleman found himself in the spotlight early this offseason when Bills owner Terry Pegula pointed to the decision to draft him coming from the coaching staff rather than General Manager Brandon Beane during a press conference to discuss the firing of former head coach Sean McDermott.
The ensuing days saw Beane, new head coach Joe Brady, quarterback Josh Allen and others speak out in support of Coleman’s future with the team despite the wideout getting benched at times for disciplinary reasons. Those comments showed clear support for the 2024 second-round pick, but they also sounded similar to many others that have come off as boilerplate once the player being discussed failed to develop.
In an interview with Joe Buscaglia of TheAthletic.com, Beane insists that “it’s not all talk” because the team knows it is “not an ability thing” with the wideout. Beane said Coleman has “to come in and earn every single thing he’s gonna get” while saying the team is committed to giving him that opportunity.
“Listen, he has to go do it, but I think we feel confident that the maturity level is heading where it needs to,” Beane said. “Again, he’s got to go do it. We believe in the skill set, and that’s part of what your culture is. We all grow at different times; none of us were a made product at 21, 22. Do you wish you had to go through that with him? No, you don’t. But you hope for us, and for him, he looks back and says, ‘That was the best thing that happened to me.’ That’s what you hope. And we’re putting all our eggs in his basket to come back for year three and be a part of this group, however that is.”
Former Bills wideout Stevie Johnson recently told Kyle Odegard of Casino.org that he reached out to Coleman about honing his game ahead of his third season and anything Coleman can do to help reach his ceiling will be welcomed by the Bills. The team will get another chance to signal their commitment to the wideout in next week’s draft as going other ways with their early picks will be a further sign of their belief in Coleman for 2026.
As part of Autism Acceptance Month, the Buffalo Bills have made an announcement regarding the accommodations at their new stadium.
It will have seven sensory rooms, the most of any venue of its kind.
The sensory rooms will be accessible to all ticket holders, and they will be located on all levels of the stadium. The sensory rooms are intended to “provide a calming, supportive environment for guests who may need a personal and quiet environment, while still enjoying Buffalo’s game-day experience.”
“We’re excited to continue to provide a sensory inclusive stadium experience for our fans at Highmark Stadium and are humbled to now have seven sensory rooms for fans to utilize,” Bills senior director of guest experience Zach Rutkowski said, per the team’s website.
The Bills’ new stadium will open for the 2026 season.
