Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott will remain as such, at least contractually, through the 2025 NFL season. The team announced on Wednesday that McDermott inked a new extension with the club through that season.
Since McDermott was technically under contract through the next two years, in terms of a list of things on the organization’s “to-do list,” getting him under a new deal maybe wasn’t No. 1… but it certainly was up there. And now that the deed is done and signed, there’s many things to consider with this huge news.
With that, here are seven takeaways from Sean McDermott’s extension with the Bills:
National narrative remains
By no means has McDermott been a perfect coach. He’s had his mix of blunders such as clock management scenarios and replacing Tyrod Taylor with Nathan Peterman in the midst of a playoff race. But these situations are very much overshadowed by the new national perception surrounding the Bills, created by McDermott.
For nearly two decades, the Bills were… nothing short of a joke. From ownership previously getting involved with decisions, to a lack of wins, to players openly saying they’d rather play anywhere else. Buffalo’s bottom line was the bottom of the barrel in 2017 when Rex Ryan was fired with one game remaining in the season.
But McDermott came in and revitalized this organization. Sure, others helped him along the way, but after the Rex-Doug Whaley fiasco of the past, the Bills organization made one guy the face of this franchise, and it’s McDermott. By keeping McDermott around and not losing him, the phrase “same old Bills” holds a lot different weight.
In keeping their leader and bench boss around, yes, it is the same (new) Bills we’re used to. The ones that have become accustom to being admired across the league, not pushed to the back of the line. Losing McDermott could’ve completely undone all of this, but the Bills didn’t let it happen.