Sean McDermott's head-coaching future hinted by NFL insider

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported what the Bills former head coach's intentions could be moving forward.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks on before the game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Sean McDermott is sure to be a hot head coaching commodity after he was fired by the Buffalo Bills this past week.

Nine seasons on the job, an overall record of 106-58, including playoffs, two trips to the AFC Championship Game. McDermott had plenty of success in Buffalo and is a prime candidate to help lead another organization to profound success.

However, per to an NFL insider, McDermott may not pursue any of the openings available to him this offseason.

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Bills head coach Sean McDermott during a training camp practice in 2019. | JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A year off?

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the former Bills’ head coach may elect for a one-year respite from leading a team into battle on Sundays.

“Surprisingly fired recently and no doubt would be one of the top candidates for basically any job around if he wanted to take one,” said Rapoport about McDermott. “It remains unclear what Sean McDermott will firmly decide to do. But to my knowledge, has not engaged on any of these openings.”

Rapoport went on to explain McDermott’s potential reasoning for wanting to step away from the game briefly.

MORE: Sean McDermott leaves Buffalo as one of best coaches in franchise history

The Insiders on @NFLGameDay with @TomPelissero and @MikeGarafolo: The latest on the #Browns search, plus the #Packers hired Jonathan Gannon; The #Ravens OC plans; Why Sean McDermott may take a year off and Philip Rivers could replace him in Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/QmxUxP35d7

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2026

“Based on the conversations he’s had, the people he’s talked with who have taken a year off after a long head-coaching stint, all have said it was beneficial and worth it,” said the insider. “We’ll see if that is the way Sean McDermott goes, but I believe it is likely that he ends up taking a year off.”

Another factor that could be weighing on McDermott’s decision-making process is that, beyond the Bills' job, there are only three remaining head-coaching jobs available — the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals — all of which are undesirable opportunities, to say the least.

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Bills head coach Sean McDermott watches the defensive linemen get in some extra work before the start of practice in 2023. | Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A distinct change

That would be quite the transition for McDermott, who has coached in the NFL for 27 seasons without a break between jobs. He was with the Eagles from 1999 to 2010, the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2016 and had been with the Bills since the 2017 campaign.

It’s been quite the run for McDermott, one that, if Rapoport is correct, could be coming to an end soon, at least for the time being.

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