Bills fire Sean McDermott after 9 seasons of falling short of reaching Super Bowl, AP sources say

ORCHARD PARK, New York -- The Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott connected Monday, 2 radical with nonstop cognition of the determination told The Associated Press.

The determination came 2 days aft the Bills were eliminated successful a heart-wrenching 33-30 overtime nonaccomplishment astatine Denver successful the divisional circular of the playoffs. The radical spoke to the AP connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the squad had not announced the moved.

McDermott's tenure ends aft 9 seasons successful which helium transformed the franchise into a perennial victor but was knocked for failing to marque a Super Bowl appearance. Buffalo became the NFL's archetypal squad to triumph a playoff circular successful 7 consecutive years but not scope the Super Bowl.

The 51-year-old McDermott finished with a 98-50 regular-season grounds and was 8-8 successful the playoffs, ranking 2nd connected the squad database successful wins down Hall of Fame manager Marv Levy (112-70, 11-8). Levy did truthful implicit 11 seasons during a tenure that included the Jim Kelly-led squad reaching - and losing - 4 consecutive Super Bowls successful the aboriginal 1990s.

McDermott's nonaccomplishment to scope the Super Bowl with Josh Allen astatine backmost became his undoing. Though Allen has breached galore of Kelly's passing and scoring records, the Bills person precocious to the AFC title crippled conscionable doubly - and mislaid some times to Kansas City - during a team-record seven-year playoff run.

Buffalo's past 3 playoff losses person each been decided by 3 points. And 3 of McDermott's playoff losses ended successful overtime.

That includes a 42-36 nonaccomplishment to Kansas City successful the 2021 divisional circular that's go dubbed "13 seconds" - the magnitude of clip Patrick Mahomes had to implicit 2 passes for 44 yards and acceptable up Harrison Butker's tying, 49-yard tract extremity connected the last play of regulation.

Despite his playoff inconsistencies, McDermott oversaw a squad that won 10 oregon much regular-season games implicit 7 consecutive seasons, including 2 squad record-matching 13-win seasons successful 2022 and '24.

Buffalo reached the playoffs successful 8 of McDermott's 9 seasons. That includes 2017, erstwhile the Bills sneaked into the postseason connected the last time to extremity a 17-year playoff drought that astatine the clip was the longest progressive streak successful North America's 4 large pro sports.