Brandon Beane takes heat from two retired Bills' Pro Bowlers siding with Sean McDermott

The Buffalo Bills' surprise firing of head coach Sean McDermott drew criticism from two former players who helped end the playoff drought in 2017

Oct 22, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito (64) spikes the ball to celebrate his teams touchdown during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Era Field | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills kicked off their offseason by firing nine-year head coach Sean McDermott while promoting general manager Brandon Beane.

To say the least, two retired Bills' players do not approve of either move.

Running back LeSean McCoy and left guard Richie Incognito, both of whom made three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances for the Bills from 2015 through 2017, created a bit of a buzz amongst the fan base by publicly reacting to the surprising news from One Bills Drive.

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Both McCoy and Incognito, who were inherited by McDermott from the prior regime, criticized their old team's decisions on multiple platforms. The two key starters from the head coach's first season on the job weren't afraid to suggest that Bills' owner Terry Pegula got it all wrong.

LeSean McCoy

McCoy, who was brought to Buffalo by former general manager Doug Whaley, played two seasons under McDermott before Beane cut him loose.

On the Speakeasy podcast, the running back questioned Beane's football IQ and player evaluation ability.

"He's a good guy. He don't know nothing about football," said McCoy citing a conversation he had with the general manager following the Sammy Watkins trade.

McCoy also used his X account to comment on the news of Beane's promotion.

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"Wait wait so the GM stays after all these non talented rosters and absolutely NO HELP for Josh on offense or defense lol only in THE NFL," said McCoy.

Bills running back LeSean McCoy tries to run past Jaguars Jalen Ramsey. | JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE

Richie Incognito

The Bills released Incognito following the 2017 season as Beane entered his first draft cycle at the helm. The sometimes brash retired hog molly seemingly holds McDermott in much higher esteem than the general manager, who gave him the boot.

"I got the news on my way here today, and a lot thoughts, a lot of emotions running through my head," said Incognito while appearing on The Arena: Gridiron podcast. "I was there for Sean McDermott's first year in 2017, and that's when the program changed for the better, forever."

"I was there for Sean McDermott's first year in 2017 and that is when the program changed for the better, forever."@68INCOGNITO is torn on the McDermott firing after witnessing him turn around the Bills. pic.twitter.com/kvVenGTVGC

— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) January 19, 2026

Subsequently on X, Incognito reposted a video from the NFL Network insiders and added his explanation for the reported fallout between McDermott and Beane.

"He challenged them and told the truth. Accountability made them uncomfortable. You don’t win a Super Bowl unless everyone, including the GM, lives up to the standard," said Incognito.

Dec 10, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito (64) against the Indianapolis Colts at New Era Field. | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

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