How Sean McDermott's Panthers pipeline molded Bills into dominant force

The Bills' head coach has gotten bunches of key contributions from his old friends from Carolina

Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on the sidelines against the Atlanta Falcons. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott came from the Carolina Panthers, the Bills' opponent on Sunday, in 2017. Since then, considerable progress has been made, thanks in part to the help of some of his old friends.

McDermott was the defensive coordinator of the Panthers for six seasons, helping Carolina win three straight division titles and make Super Bowl 50. Throughout the years in Buffalo, his old friends from Charlotte have helped the Bills become what they are today.

Fullback Mike Tolbert was the first notable face McDermott brought along, but wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin was the bigger name in 2017. The 2014 first-round pick was acquired for a 2018 third-rounder and a seventh-rounder at the deadline. He caught 39 passes for 571 yards and two touchdowns in 18 games with Buffalo.

Dec 17, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Kiko Alonso (47) makes a tackle on Bills wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13). | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Arguably, the biggest contributions came in 2020, when the Bills won their first of five straight division titles. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, another former first-round pick of the Panthers, had already been with Buffalo since 2018, but several other key players were integral that season.

Guard Daryl Williams, who played his first five seasons with Carolina, started 33 games on the right side of the Bills' offensive line for two seasons, protecting quarterback Josh Allen during his rise as a top QB in the NFL.

Defensive linemen Mario Addison, Vernon Butler and Efe Obada made up a key group of a defensive line rotation that combined for 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2020.

Cornerback Josh Norman, who made the All-Pro team in 2015 with Carolina, was part of an infamous moment in Bills lore, being the victim of one of Derrick Henry's vicious stiff arms, but one play offsets that humiliating moment.

Jan 3, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Bills cornerback Josh Norman (29) reacts to his interception return for a touchdown against the Dolphins. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

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Norman pick-sixed the Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa in Week 17 of 2020, helping prevent the Dolphins from making the playoffs for just the second time since 2009.

This season, the pipeline has extended to a pair of players, the first being linebacker Shaq Thompson. An 11-year veteran who played his first two seasons under McDermott, he'll have a larger role on defense with Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard dealing with injuries.

It'll be unknown what will arise out of Bank of America Stadium when the Bills take the field there for the first time since 2017, McDermott's first road game as Buffalo's head man. But one thing's for sure: He won't be reminiscing about the good times as the Bills look to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2018.

Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson takes down Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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