Sean McDermott would make perfect reunion with Panthers if Ejiro Evero leaves

If Ejiro Evero is hired, the Panthers should pray Sean McDermott comes back home.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field against the Denver Broncos at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills, perhaps astonishingly, fired Sean McDermott. It's been a while, but he originally got into the coaching spotlight thanks to his work under Ron Rivera for the Carolina Panthers.

Bills fired HC Sean McDermott, per source. pic.twitter.com/snnTXfzJaD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2026

Right now, it's not totally feasible for the Panthers to bring him back. They just extended Ejiro Evero, and they don't really have a viable opening on their defensive staff, even if McDermott would take a relegation all the way back to defensive assistant.

But if Evero leaves, which is possible since he's got two teams interested in him as a head coach, then McDermott would be the ideal reunion and new defensive coordinator.

Fired Bills coach Sean McDermott would be ideal Ejiro Evero replacement

Sean McDermott was a brilliant defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, and he honestly should've taken over for Ron Rivera. McDermott left in 2018, and Rivera was fired in 2019.

McDermott went on to be one of the NFL's better coaches in that time span, winning 98 out of 148 games and making the playoffs every year but one.

Ejiro Evero still has two chances to become a head coach (potentially three if the newly open Buffalo Bills call him), and if he does, then the Panthers should call McDermott.

He runs a different scheme than the Panthers currently do, and the personnel might not be ideal. Nevertheless, he was a very good coordinator and it could be really helpful to have a veteran with HC experience on the staff alongside Dave Canales.

He could not only coordinate the defense but help Canales with some game management, preseason tactics, and more that a head coach has to do. It would help alleviate some of the pressure on Canales, and it could open up the offense.

It remains unlikely that Evero will get hired away, and even if he does, McDermott could probably get a head coaching job somewhere and won't want to coordinate for the Panthers. But it is a really nice thing to consider.

McDermott is the third veteran head coach who's had tons of success to be fired, joining Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, who has since been hired again by the New York Giants.

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