Terry Pegula explains surprising Brandon Beane promotion amidst Sean McDermott firing

The Buffalo Bills' head coach lost his job, but the general manager received a promotion?

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane before an an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The football world was in shock on Monday when the Buffalo Bills announced the firing of head coach Sean McDermott, while simultaneously announcing the promotion of general manager Brandon Beane to President of Football Operations.

During his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday, Beane explained what the future would look like for him within the organization.

Pegula's rationale

Owner Terry Pegula explained Beane's promotion, drawing all the way back to the 2018 NFL Draft.

"That was my decision. I could be wrong. I don't know if anybody knows this in this room but Josh Allen wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this guy [gesturing to Beane] pushing and pushing, and pulling a Houdini in that draft to get to the position where we could pick him. That was my decision," said Pegula.

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The "Houdini" Beane pulled included trading picks 21, 185, and starting tackle Cordy Glenn to the Bengals for pick 12 and 187, then trading pick 12, 53, and 56 to the Buccaneers for pick seven and 255.

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula walks with the team before a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Multitasking

Based on reports of the previous management structure, McDermott and Brandon Beane were on equal ground and both individually reported to Pegula. Beane confirmed that the new head coach will be reporting to him as the President of Football Operations.

Speculation began to rise that after the draft, either Brian Gaine or Terrance Gray, both assistant general managers on Beane's F.O. staff, would be internally promoted to GM so Beane could focus on his new role. That speculation was, at least temporarily, shut down by Beane.

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When asked about this possibility, he gave a very brief, yet definitive answer. "I'll be the GM. We're gonna operate very similarly [to what] we've been doing."

Beane will now be managing a head coach search, adjusting to his new promotion, and still carrying out GM duties as free agency and the draft approach.

Brandon Beane, general manager of then Buffalo Bills, heads off the field at the end of practice at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on July 24, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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