
Bills News: Pressure Mounts on Sean McDermott After HC Snubbed From Top 10 Ranking
The Bills have become one of the NFLâs most consistent winners under Sean McDermott. Ninety-three total wins, regular season and playoffs, in his first eight years, puts him tied for the second-most in NFL history. Five straight division titles. A pair of AFC Championship appearances. An identity built around toughness, discipline, and a quarterback who can stiff-arm a linebacker and throw 70 yards flat-footed. But in the NFL, sustained success without the ultimate payoff has a shelf life. The pressure is rising.
According to USA TODAY, McDermott now ranks No. 5 among head coaches on the NFLâs hot seat entering 2025. Thatâs not a rumor, itâs a reflection of expectation. Because in Buffalo, winning the AFC East isnât good enough anymore. CBS analyst Tyler Sullivan also echoed a similar sentiment, placing him at number 5 in the hot seat rankings.
The Chiefs have become Buffaloâs white whale. Four of the Billsâ last five playoff exits have come at the hands of Patrick Mahomes. A near-miss in 2020. Itâs not just that they lose, itâs who they fail to. 13 seconds in 2021. Another hard-fought defeat in the 2024 title game. Itâs a broken record at this point, and McDermottâs inability to flip that script has started to create cracks in what was once considered an untouchable regime.
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And letâs be real, Josh Allen isnât getting any younger, even if his arm suggests otherwise. Buffaloâs roster is loaded. Theyâve got cap-tight veteran urgency and a top-tier quarterback in his prime. That combination doesnât stay together forever. And if Sean McDermott canât turn that into a Super Bowl appearance, the front office might start asking about the holdup.
Still, the prediction for now? Heâs safe. At least through 2025. The continuity, the culture, the sheer number of wins, itâs earned him that. But the expectations have shifted. If this season ends in the same way it always does, in heartbreak, donât be shocked if he gets replaced. Many analysts are already questioning his ability.
Sean McDermott snubbed from top 10 rankingsThe top of PFFâs top 10 returning coaches rankings brings no real surprises. Andy Reid remains the gold standard after leading the Chiefs to another Super Bowl appearance last season. Sean Payton earned his spot by rallying Denver back to relevance, with structure and defensive grit. And Sean McVay, the Ramsâ HC, continues to get credit not just for the Super Bowl win but for evolving his system through cap resets and injuries. But everyone noticed the missing name. Sean McDermott!
His fall from the top-10 tier wasnât overnight; itâs been a slow slide hidden behind steady success. PFF ranked him 9th in their 2023 rankings. He slid down to 10th place in the 2024 rankings. This year, he is out. McDermott was viewed as one of the most reliable head coaches in the league. But reliable doesnât trend anymore. And with expectations rising, patience is getting thinner.
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That sentiment was echoed again this week in WalterFootballâs latest coaching power rankings, where Senior Draft Analyst Charlie Campbell slotted McDermott 12th among 25 returning NFL head coaches. Campbell didnât mince words either: âThey get to the playoffs and they lose. They donât get to the Super Bowl,â he said. âI think McDermott has done a good job, but not a great job.â So what now?
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McDermott still enters 2025 with one of the leagueâs best rosters, an MVP-level quarterback in Josh Allen, and a franchise that fully expects a Super Bowl. But if that run ends in another shortfall, especially against the same Kansas City-shaped wall, the Bills may have to ask a hard question: Has McDermott done all he can? And the rankings? Theyâll keep slipping until the confetti finally lands in Buffalo.