Sean Mcdermott takes a year off as media options emerge
Sean mcdermott is stepping away from coaching for the 2026 season, and he says the pause is meant to help him process what worked, what did not, and how he can come back stronger. Speaking Wednesday on The Insiders, the former Bills coach said he is using the year to reflect on his time in Buffalo and stay open to learning from leaders outside football. At the same time, he said he has multiple media suitors while he considers what comes next.
Sean Mcdermott says the break is about reflection, not retreat
Mcdermott framed the year away as a deliberate reset rather than a permanent exit. He said the goal is to “take the year and really process through things, ” while avoiding a knee-jerk reaction to his firing.
He pointed to Buffalo’s run under his leadership as evidence that the tenure included real success, even if it ended in disappointment. Mcdermott said the Bills broke a 17-year playoff drought, changed the team culture, and reached the playoffs in eight of nine seasons. He also said he believes the Bills are “in a really good spot. ”
That balance matters to him as he thinks about the next stage of his career. Instead of treating the past as a failure to be erased, he said he wants to build on it and ask how he would do things differently the next time he takes a coaching job.
Multiple media suitors are in the mix
Mcdermott also made clear that coaching is not the only possible lane on his radar. He said he has “some suitors” and is trying to schedule things out to see where it goes, signaling that television could become part of his 2026 season.
The possibility adds another layer to an already unusual year for a coach whose future had seemed tied closely to the sideline. For now, Mcdermott says he is not rushing the decision. He described this stretch as a chance to stay curious, talk to leaders in different sports and industries, and improve as both a coach and a leader.
Mcdermott also sounded comfortable with the personal side of the break. He said the time away gives him and his family a different kind of opportunity, one centered on reset and perspective. That tone suggests the year off is being handled as a real life transition, not just a professional pause.
What Buffalo leaves behind for Sean Mcdermott
The context around Mcdermott’s exit remains part of the story. Buffalo fired him in January after a divisional-round overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, closing a nine-year stretch that produced a 98-50 regular-season record and an 8-8 playoff record.
Joe Brady, Mcdermott’s former offensive lieutenant, is now leading the Bills, and Mcdermott said he wants the best for him. Still, he noted that leading the team is a different job than preparing for it, even for someone who has been inside the system.
As the 2026 season approaches, Mcdermott’s next move remains open. Whether he returns to coaching or steps into media, the coming months will show how he uses this year off — and whether Sean mcdermott turns reflection into a sharper second act.
Quick context
Mcdermott said his approach is shaped by what he learned in Buffalo and by the idea that success and frustration can exist at the same time. He stressed that the year away is part of a longer process of growth.
For now, the timeline is clear: he is out for the 2026 season, and he is weighing both football and media possibilities before deciding what comes next.
