Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott snubbed in returning NFL head coach ranking

Sean McDermott nearly took the Buffalo Bills to the Super Bowl, but still isn’t named among the top 10 returning coaches.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Championship game | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Since taking over as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott has led his team to a regular season record of 86-45. In the playoffs, he’s 7-7 with two appearances in the AFC East Championship.

As much success as he’s had, McDermott is still being ignored when it comes to top NFL coach rankings. That was evident once again as PFF’s Dalton Wasserman ranked the top 10 returning coaches in 2025, with McDermott absent from the list.

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Unsurprisingly, Andy Reid leads things off as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach is widely considered the best in the business. Other big-name coaches such as Sean Payton, Sean McVay, and both Harbaughs made the list as well.

Easily the most surprising name ahead of McVay on this list, however, was Kevin Stefanski. While he’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, Stefanski has a record of just 40-44. This past season was exceptionally poor, with Cleveland going 3-14.

Despite the NFL being known as a “what have you done for me lately” league, Stefanski is still being praised for his 11-6 record in 2023 with backup quarterbacks leading the way. As for McDermott, he seems to be getting less credit since he can rely on 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks at the scoreboard during the second half against the New York Jets | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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