Why the Bills needed to make a change to hire a highly respected special teams coordinator for 2025

In 2024, the Bills had one of the worst special teams in the league statistically.

Despite that, following the Bills' loss to the Chiefs in the AFC title game, Sean McDermott was asked about special team coordinator Matthew Smiley remaining with the Bills for the 2025 season. McDermott replied that Smiley would return next season.

What changed in the two weeks between that moment and Smiley's firing on Super Bowl Sunday is unknown, but McDermott decided to quickly fill that vacancy with a highly experienced special teams coach by hiring Chris Tabor.

It was abundantly clear the Bills needed to make a change to improve their special teams after ranking in the bottom of the NFL across multiple categories last season. The
Bills special teams units under Smiley were rated extremely poor in Rick Gosselin and Bill Huber’s special teams rankings as the Bills finished 28th in 2023 and 27th in 2024.

The Bills special teams concluded 2024 ranked:

28th in average kickoff return yards allowed (30.8)
26th in average kickoff return yardage (25.9)
24th in punting net average (40.9)
26th in field goal percentage (24-for-29, 82.9%)
32nd in extra point percentage (59-for-64, 92%)

Buffalo Bills — Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Adam Schefter reported the Bills are hiring long-time special teams coordinator, Chris Tabor. Tabor is a highly decorated coordinator that, two seasons ago, was voted the second best special teams coordinator by the NFLPA . After the Panther fired Frank Reich mid-season, Tabor served as the Carolina Panthers interim head coach in 2023, but stepped away from the league last season.

Tabor first began his career as a special teams coordinator in 2011 with the Cleveland Browns, where he remained in that role until 2017. He also served in this role with the Chicago Bears from 2018 - 2021, followed by the Panthers in 2022 and 2023. All signs point to this being an excellent hire by McDermott that should pay dividends in 2025.

A big move for the #Bills.

Buffalo is hiring Chris Tabor as their special teams coordinator. #BillsMafia https://t.co/w9Y3P6WMzL
— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) February 12, 2025

There is more work to be done this offseason, but this change was objectively necessary to improve the team.

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