This morning, NFL fans saw yet another domino fall in what was already one of the craziest head coaching carousels of all time: two days after losing to the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills fired their longtime coach, Sean McDermott.
In nine seasons, the former Panthers DC was a dominant regular-season coach who failed to win when it mattered in the postseason.
It’s a familiar story, as teams around the league seem to be comfortable moving on from “winning coaches” if they aren’t getting the job done in January. The Ravens and Steelers are prime examples of this.
And so, with the reigning MVP at the helm and a consistent playoff-worthy roster, the Bills need a new leader.
Here, I’ll go over the three candidates I expect to top Buffalo’s list as they start the process to replace McDermott after nearly a decade of work.
The Favorite: Brian Daboll — Former Bills OC & Giants HC
At least from a speculation perspective, the clear starting favorite to succeed McDermott is his own former offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll.
The 50-year-old coaching veteran grew up in a Buffalo suburb and landed the Bills OC job in 2018 after a stint with the Alabama Crimson Tide. His tenure was an immediate success, and he was the one who molded Allen straight out of college.
After the 2021 season, his efforts with Allen were recognized, and he was hired by the Giants as head coach. Obviously, it didn’t work out there, and he was fired this past season.
However, with Buffalo back in the HC market, and Daboll free to interview and sign whenever, a reunion makes a ton of sense to fix this offense.
Maybe all he needs as a head coach is the competitive roster he never got with the Giants?
The In-House Option: Joe Brady — Current Bills OC, Promoted From QB Coach
Behind Daboll as the favorite for this job is the in-house option, incumbent Bills OC Joe Brady.
At just 36-years-old, Brady has helped LSU win a national championship, as he coached Joe Burrow up during his time as a Tiger, and has been an offensive coordinator for both Carolina and now Buffalo.
He didn’t have a great tenure with the Panthers, as he was fired during his second season, but he found his way to Buffalo and worked his way up the ladder to get back to running an offense in 2024.
Despite a lack of solid weapons, Allen and Brady have maintained a strong offense; that, alongside his youth and potential, could make him the top candidate.
He isn’t being heavily considered for any other head coaching opportunities, however, and that could make Buffalo fans queasy about his candidacy now.
The Sleeper: Davis Webb — Former Bills QB, Highly Touted Young Coach
Lastly, we have a “dark horse” who could very quickly become the top guy in the race.
Davis Webb, the 30-year-old former NFL quarterback turned young offensive guru, has gotten a ton of attention from teams this offseason.
In 2017, Webb was drafted by the Giants in the third round, but he only lasted one season with the team. He’d move on to the Jets in 2018, before becoming Allen’s backup in Buffalo from 2019-2021.
His playing days ended in 2022, back with the Giants, and he immediately transitioned into a coaching role as the Broncos QB Coach in 2023. Webb did such a good job developing Bo Nix that he was promoted to also be the passing game coordinator in 2025.
Buffalo could see him as a perfect gamble: he’s been a Bill, he’s been with Allen, and they even tried to hire him as their QB coach in 2022. If they think he can make the jump from assistant to head coach, don’t be surprised if he lands this job.
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