Buffalo Bills lose game-changing coach, reportedly hired by division rival

The Bills' special teams coordinator is head to a divisional rival.

Buffalo Bills special teams coordinator Chris Tabor talks to the team during a break in action during first half action of the Bills home game against the New Orleans Saints in Orchard Park on Sept. 28, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The day before the Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott, the team reportedly lost offensive line coach Aaron Kromer to retirement. Now, Buffalo has lost another crucial assistant, this time to a division rival, per reports.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has parted ways with the Bills after just one season and is now set to join the Miami Dolphins’ organization.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news on Friday night, as Buffalo will now be in search of its third special teams coordinator in as many seasons.

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Buffalo Bills special teams coordinator Chris Tabor looks on before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Good stint

Tabor proved an effective coach for the Bills, albeit during a brief tenure, as Buffalo’s special teams displayed noticeable improvement under his leadership in 2025.

Tabor guided a kick return unit that saw Ray Davis earn first-team All-Pro honors as a returner after finishing the regular season as the NFL leader in average yards per kick return (30.4). Davis also recorded a 97-yard kick return, which was the fifth-longest in the league this season. Davis’ kick return yards over expected (+8.8) was the third-best mark since 2018, per Next Gen Stats.

Additionally, despite cycling through several options throughout the early portion of the season, Tabor helped settle things in the punting department. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky finished in the top half of the league (14th) in net punting average (41.9). And while filling in for starting kicker Tyler Bass, who was lost due to injury during training camp, Matt Prater converted on 90% of his field goal attempts.

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Source: Dolphins are hiring former Bills special teams coordinator Chris Tabor as their special teams coordinator. An in-division move. pic.twitter.com/hwjXlSQfax

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2026

Once again looking

Tabor replaced former Bills special teams coach Matthew Smiley for the 2025 season, which turned out to be Tabor’s lone year in Buffalo. He will now move on to the Dolphins, who are set to replace outgoing Miami STs coach Craig Aukerman, who previously served in the role for one season under former head coach Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins recently hired Jeff Hafley to replace McDaniel.

The Bills are currently in the process of hiring a new head coach, so any future hire for special teams coordinator will likely come after the team moves forward with a new leader. Buffalo has already completed interviews with offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former OC and New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and former Colts and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

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