Many have been eager to learn what really happened behind closed doors that ultimately led to former head coach Sean McDermott’s dismissal and Brandon Beane’s rise. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Beane spent nearly 20 minutes speaking with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine, fielding a wide range of questions during an extended press conference, including the long-standing questions surrounding McDermott’s firing.
“That decision was ultimately Terry Pegula’s and his alone… he felt maybe we needed something new, something fresh,” Beane said while speaking to CBS Sports (as per Bills Lead’s X post). “This was the decision he made, and you follow along with it—’You’ve made this decision and now we need to put our heads together and line up who are the best candidates.’”
Beane wasn’t the only one to confirm that the call came from the Bills owner, Terry Pegula.
In January, Pegula and Beane both faced the media just days after the firing, and the Bills owner didn’t shy away from taking responsibility.
GM Brandon Beane on Sean McDermott being fired:
“That decision was ultimately Terry Pegula’s and his alone… he felt maybe we needed something new, something fresh— this was the decision he made and you follow along with it ‘you’ve made this decision and now we need to put our… pic.twitter.com/5237XNkv6p
— Bills Lead (@BillsLead) February 25, 2026
“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula said. “I walked over to Josh, but he didn’t even acknowledge I was there. The first thing I said to him was that it was a catch. We all know what I’m talking about. He didn’t acknowledge me. He just sat there sobbing. He had given everything he had to try to win that game. I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser. And I felt his pain. I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”
The decision to part ways with McDermott came less than 48 hours after the Bills’ 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the postseason.
Going all the way back to January 2017, McDermott was appointed as the 19th head coach in franchise history. After nine years, he leaves with a 98-50 regular-season record, including seven consecutive years with 10+ wins, as well as an even 8-8 postseason record.
McDermott was instrumental in turning Buffalo from a team that struggled consistently into a true contender in the AFC. In the 10 years before his arrival in 2017, the Bills finished last in the AFC East six times and had only one winning season.
During his tenure, Buffalo won five consecutive AFC East championships from 2020 to 2024 and made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons. Still, the playoff shortcomings lingered.
Across eight postseason appearances, the Bills were eliminated in the Wild Card Round twice, fell in the Divisional Round four times, and came up short in the AFC Championship Game twice.
Now, after making the necessary changes to the coaching staff, the focus shifts forward. The Bills will be looking to strengthen the roster, keeping an eye on potential draft prospects and experienced veterans set to hit free agency.
Brandon Beane reworks Spencer Brown’s contract to free up millions
A lot of that responsibility now sits with general manager Brandon Beane, and from his recent statements in the pressers, it seems he isn’t wasting any time to make things better.
When teams head into the offseason, one of the priorities is making sure they’re in good shape with the salary cap. That’s clearly been top of mind for Beane. He recently gave a significant update regarding offensive lineman Spencer Brown and the status of his contract.
“It saves us a little over $10 million with the cap conversion of Spencer,” Beane told reporters at the 2026 NFL Draft Combine. “I want to say $10.4 (million), but it’s something close to that. Don’t hold me to it.”
While the Bills did come to terms on an adjusted agreement with Brown this offseason, Beane revealed that the move will clear more than $10 million in cap space for the team.
Brown previously signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension with the Bills.
As part of the restructuring, $13.025 million of his salary and roster bonus was converted into a signing bonus, which created approximately $10.42 million in cap space for Buffalo, according to Spotrac.
This probably won’t be the last move like this. After reworking Spencer Brown’s deal, more restructures could be on the way as Brandon Beane looks to free up space and keep the Buffalo Bills cap compliant while preparing for key offseason upgrades.
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