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Terry Pegula Interrupts Bills GM to Blame Officials For Postseason Loss

Terry Pegula had a wild press conference on Wednesday, even interrupting Brandon Beane to blame officials for the Buffalo Bills losing in the playoffs.
Randy Gurzi|
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula walks with the team before a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula walks with the team before a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Anyone who tuned in for Terry Pegula's press conference on Wednesday was not disappointed. The Buffalo Bills owner discussed a wide array of topics, and somehow, each comment he made was more wild than the last.

Pegula admitted the loss to the Denver Broncos was huge in his decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott. He also praised McDermott for his work, saying he left the franchise in better shape than it was when he joined.

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The pleasantries ended there as Pegula then blamed McDermott and the coaching staff for selecting Keon Coleman in the 2024 NFL draft. As if that wasn't enough controversy for Pegula, he made sure to go after NFL officials as well.

During the press conference, general manager Brandon Beane was asked for the reason the team fell short of the Super Bowl. He didn't get the chance to respond, with Pegula interrupting him and shouting "a bad call."

Pegula was referring to the infamous play where Josh Allen attempted a deep pass to Brandin Cooks during overtime. Cooks initially had both hands on the ball, but as he fell to the ground, Denver defensive back Ja'Quan McMillian ripped the ball away from Cooks.

Officials ruled that McMillian was the one who had possession, a decision that led to plenty of controversy. It also seems to have been huge in deciding the fate of McDermott.

Bills head coaching search could be impacted by presser

Owner of the Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Owner of the Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The glaring question from this won't be how the league responds to Pegula's comments, although they likely will have something to say.

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Instead, the concern has to be how Pegula's actions will impact the head coaching search. For nine seasons, McDermott was seen as one of the most consistent coaches in the NFL, but he never could win it all. Still, he had the Bills in the mix year after year.

Despite this, he's taken a couple of shots from Pegula during this media availability, which might make the job seem far less attractive.

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.