The Buffalo Bills’ decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons is mostly understandable amongst Bills Mafia. Despite reaching the postseason in eight seasons and winning at least one playoff game in each of the past six years, the Bills could not get over the hump to reach the Super Bowl. At the end of the day, it was time for a change.
With that said, not every decision the Bills made on Monday matched how the fanbase expected McDermott’s exit to go. Instead of letting go of general manager Brandon Beane alongside McDermott, Beane was promoted to President of Football Operations, which isn’t news that reached the Mafia kindly.
Of course, any time a contender makes such drastic changes after a disappointing end to the season, everyone has thoughts on whether it was the right move. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is counted among those who disagree with the decision to part with McDermott, though he doesn’t totally disagree with Bills fans' overall opinions on the franchise's decisions to begin the 2026 offseason.
Stephen A. Smith calls out the Buffalo Bills for scapegoating Sean McDermott
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. I think he’s being scapegoated,” Smith said on First Take on Monday morning. “Why isn’t Beane gone? Why is he still keeping his job? He’s the one who didn’t have the assets necessary in order for the Buffalo Bills to advance.”
Smith resonated with Bills Mafia by pointing out the obvious: Why is McDermott the only one out if Beane didn’t supply a roster capable of supporting Josh Allen at quarterback better?
“Josh Allen is an absolute stud, we get all of that. But the man needs help. And the reality is, that when you look at how Buffalo was bereft of weapons, how this coach – what’s his record here, 98-50 in his career with Buffalo, 73-27, an NFL best over the last six seasons – if you had all the weapons with Josh Allen, and you don’t get it done, I understand,” Smith said. “But we’ve seen this team overachieve throughout this season because we know he didn’t have all the parts necessary. And for him to be gone, and for the GM to not only keep his job, but to lead the coaching search, I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all, and I don’t think McDermott deserves this.”
"I don't like it at all. I think he's being scapegoated." 😳@stephenasmith reacts to the Bills moving on from their head coach, Sean McDermott 🏈 pic.twitter.com/YM0R1i9Ikg
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 19, 2026
Buffalo more than overachieved this season, which speaks not only to the efforts of the players but also to the efforts of the coaching staff. Beane’s contributions, on the other hand, didn’t seem to match that effort the way Buffalo needed it to.
The best example of that is the wide receiver group. Beane signed Curtis Samuel and drafted Keon Coleman in 2024 and signed Josh Palmer in 2025. Those three didn’t provide nearly enough help on the outside for Josh Allen this season, and all three are rightfully labeled as busts for this team. Brandin Cooks tried to turn back the clock, but he came up short when Buffalo needed him most, even if controversy surrounded the play in question.
Beyond Khalil Shakir, who clearly isn’t a No. 1 receiving threat rather than a strong complement in the slot, Allen didn’t have a wide receiving corps that could match his elite stature in the passing game. Injuries obviously played a role late at that position, but to Smith’s point, Allen overcame all of it in other ways, as he’s expected to do, but it’s no less a failing on Beane’s part for it to be the situation in the first place.
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Bills Mafia might not agree with Smith on whether it was time for McDermott to go, but many certainly agree it was a strange decision to fire one and not the other. It’s a strange trend in the NFL this offseason, where 10 head coaches have been fired, but only two general managers.
Still, with Beane even more in charge, whatever comes next for Buffalo, the results are for him to bear. Knowing that his next coaching hire has to instill more faith that the Bills can not only reach but win a Super Bowl, and that every roster move this offseason will be put under a fine microscope, the pressure is on to deliver right away.