Sean McDermott Exploring Media Opportunities, Wants To Continue Coaching

Former Bills HC Sean McDermott appears set to take the year off from coaching after getting fired from Buffalo. When appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, McDermott said he has some potential media jobs lined up in 2026. 

“Looking into that,” McDermott said, via ProFootballTalk. “We’ve got some suitors and kind of trying to schedule it all out and see where it goes.”

McDermott mentioned that he would still like to return to the coaching ranks and misses being part of an organization. 

“I love coaching,” McDermott said. “Love it… I think [I miss] just being a part of something bigger, being a part of a team. 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.”

The last we heard in January, Greg Auman reported that the Buccaneers checked in with McDermott about a role on HC Todd Bowles‘ staff. However, Auman said the expectation was still for McDermott to take a year off from coaching before re-entering next year’s hiring cycle. 

The immediate word in the aftermath of McDermott being let go by the Bills was that the longtime coach intended to find a landing spot in 2026. But the timing was working against McDermott, and the top jobs had already been filled. 

McDermott, 51, began his NFL coaching career with the Eagles back in 1999 as a scouting coordinator. After 12 years in Philadelphia, the Panthers hired him to run their defense in 2011. He was hired by the Bills as their head coach in 2017.

During his nine years as Buffalo’s head coach, McDermott compiled a record of 98-50 (.662 winning percentage), including an 8-8 record in the playoffs. 

We’ll have more on McDermott as the news becomes available.