After being fired by the Buffalo Bills following last week’s heartbreaking playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, former head coach Sean McDermott was expected to be a top candidate for other openings this hiring cycle.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that there have been indications in recent days that McDermott is “likely” to take a year off from coaching.
The Bills fired McDermott after nine seasons and are now one of four teams remaining with head coaching vacancies, along with the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.
Rapoport explained that McDermott “no doubt would be one of the top candidates for basically any job around, if he wanted to take one.” However, he added that while “it remains unclear” what McDermott’s decision ultimately will be, he has “not engaged on any of these openings.”
In addition to not pursuing the head coaching jobs that are currently available, McDermott reportedly has sought advice from others who have faced similar situations, and he could be influenced to spend the 2026 season watching from home.
“Based on the conversations he’s had, people he’s talked with who have taken a year off after a long head coaching stint, all have said it was beneficial and worth it,” Rapoport said. “We’ll see if that is the way Sean McDermott goes.”
With McDermott potentially off the board this hiring cycle, teams with remaining openings will have a hard time finding other coaching candidates of his caliber. He will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after options next offseason if he decides to return to the sidelines.
