NFL World Shocked to See Bills’ GM Brandon Beane Promoted as Sean McDermott is Fired

When you play the game of thrones you get promoted or you're fired, with no middle ground.

Brandon Beane not only survived a playoff loss, but earned a promotion while coach Sean McDermott was fired. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott on Monday morning following a divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos over the weekend. McDermott's dismissal came as a shock as the team was a perennial contender under his guidance, having had eight winning seasons during his nine year tenure. They also won five AFC East titles and played in two AFC championship games.

While the organization believed that McDermott did an admiral... er, admirable job, they decided it was time to move on. In concert with that decision the team decided not only to retain general manager Brandon Beane, but promote him and add President of Football Operations to his title.

This was just as surprising to the people who follow what had gone on in Buffalo the last few years with media personalities like Mina Kimes suggesting the Bills' biggest issues this year were with the roster and not the person tasked with coaching it.

Man…I was not watching the Bills lose this weekend and thinking about the coaching.

I was thinking *a lot* about the state of the roster. https://t.co/Cqc6YfwsNe

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 19, 2026

OMG LMFAO https://t.co/cLOyokXoEP

— Femi Abebefe (@FemiAbebefe) January 19, 2026

Beane and McDermott both arrived in Buffalo in 2017. It's hard to understand why the franchise would chose one over the other, but as some pointed out, sometimes it's about office politics.

One of the great skills in modern business — and I have seen this so many times in sports media — is the ability to manage up. To manage your boss. It can often more important than your own skill set and output.

I now know Brandon Beane is good at this.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) January 19, 2026

The Bills announce Beane isn't just staying, he's PROMOTED. If he could negotiate with wide receivers like he does with ownership, they will really have something!

— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) January 19, 2026

willing to keep an open mind, but the vibes of this whole thing feel pretty off https://t.co/ys8ySveGuV

— Dave Helman (@davehelman_) January 19, 2026

Beane will now head the Bills' coaching search as they look to replace the coach with the second most wins in franchise history. If Beane doesn't get this right, he could be next.

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