Bills coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane both signed contract extensions with Buffalo through the 2027 season, the organization announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The pair teamed up in Buffalo in 2017, leading the Bills to a 62-35 regular season record and five trips to the playoffs.
- McDermott’s four playoff wins are the second most in franchise history.
- Buffalo is coming off its second 13-win season in three years. The Bills fell in the divisional round for the second consecutive season last January.
AthleticInstant Analysis:
What did they say to the buffalo?
Long before McDermott and Beane arrived, the Bills were juggling decision makers trying to find an identity. Coaching and general manager positions continued to change, and all contributed to a 17-year playoff drought. Once the duo came on board, things turned around instantly and the franchise has been one of the best and most consistent teams since 2017.
In six seasons as a head coach, McDermott already ranks third in franchise history for most wins and is seven shy of Lou Saban’s second-place finish. McDermott’s .639 hitting percentage is the best of any coach in franchise history. Meanwhile, Beane has put together a roster that is consistently one of the league’s best. He drafted one of the best quarterbacks in the game and navigated the ever-changing salary cap landscape until the Bills’ formation went from a tattered state to leaving a winning window open. — Buscaglia
Their popularity among fans
McDermott and Beane have become wildly popular throughout the fanbase since their arrival.
In our most recent fan poll, confidence ratings for both McDermott and Beane dropped from 2022 to 2023, although participants remained highly confident in both. The Bills were never able to advance past the Chiefs in the playoffs during the McDermott and Beane era, and made two consecutive postseason exits in the divisional round. — Buscaglia
Importance of contracts
With so much on the roster and coaching staff starting to change since the start of the winning window in 2019, the timing of these extensions could be seen as a big vote of confidence. McDermott has taken over as the defensive play caller, while Beane’s drafting has taken some criticism in recent years. Regardless, the extensions show the Pegula family is in strong support of what the couple has been able to accomplish. After all, they have provided the stability the organization has craved since coach Marv Levy retired after the 1997 season.
Matching the two contract extensions together is another important component to this, as the Bills have lined up a coach and general manager in the same season with many successful NFL pairings. While that doesn’t necessarily prevent the Bills from choosing one over the other if it comes down to that one day, it’s an important message that each company leader is on equal footing.
Both McDermott and Beane have now signed on to the new Highmark Stadium’s projected opening date for the 2026 season, giving the franchise lock-in leadership through a pivotal moment in the company’s history. — Buscaglia
Backstory
Both McDermott and Beane came to Buffalo from Carolina and immediately brought more success than the franchise had in decades. Before 2021, the team had not seen a 13-win season since 1991.
Buffalo has only had one losing season under McDermott and Beane.
What are they saying?
Team owner Terry Pegula praised McDermott’s character and work ethic in a statement, calling the coach “a proud, Christian, determined man.”
He recalls McDermott’s interviews for the position and how the trainer’s background in wrestling impressed him.
“Before his interview for the Bills head coaching job, I remember thinking he was a two-time national prep wrestling champ,” Pegula said. “I thought, ‘You wrestle, you’re determined, you love what you do, you win. He comes to Bills every day and he doesn’t ask anybody, player or coach, to do anything he wouldn’t do.
Required reading
(Photo: George Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
