The Buffalo Bills, cursed with postseason heartbreaks, look nothing short of dysfunctional right now. After deciding to let head coach Sean McDermott go, owner Terry Pegula appeared in a 53-minute press conference and seemed to have put every failure on McDermott’s shoulders. But amidst this mess, quarterback Josh Allen believes the team is going in the right direction.

“A source close to Josh Allen tells me he’s appreciative of his 8 years with Sean McDermott,” reporter Jay Skurski wrote on X. “Allen, I’m told, has faith in the leadership of the team under Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane, and will take an active role in participating in the upcoming head coaching interviews.”

McDermott was in charge for nine seasons, essentially a decade. The Bills missed the playoffs just once in that stretch. He helped shape Allen from a raw prospect into one of the league’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. In Buffalo, though, success has a ceiling. And that ceiling is a Super Bowl. Anything short of that, fairly or not, becomes the defining failure.

Allen’s response has been measured. He’s clearly grateful for McDermott, but he doesn’t appear to be fighting the decision. As Skurski noted, Allen trusts Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane and believes in where they’re trying to take the organization. Whether intentionally or not, he was also part of the emotional backdrop that led to McDermott’s dismissal.

“I looked around, first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying,” Pegula said, according to The Athletic. “I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches. I walked over to Josh. He didn’t even acknowledge I was there. First thing I said to him, I said, ‘That was a catch.’ ”

Allen never came out and said he wanted McDermott gone. He didn’t have to. Pegula made it sound like the moment spoke for itself. According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Allen’s relationship with McDermott was rocky early on but improved significantly over time.

Even now, the quarterback hasn’t publicly unpacked his feelings about the firing. According to reporter Matt Parrino, it is expected that the quarterback will hold a press conference once the new head coach is hired.

What’s clear is where his mind probably is now. Allen turns 30 this year, and the window is closing. McDermott won a lot of games—10 or more in seven straight seasons, the longest active streak in the league, and something only a handful of franchises have ever done in the Super Bowl era.

But Buffalo isn’t chasing win totals anymore. They’re chasing a parade. And whoever the next coach is, Josh Allen will have a major say in who that person is.

Josh Allen to be involved in HC search

When the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen in 2018, the expectation was that they will win the Super Bowl with him. Seven seasons later, the Bills have had plenty of chances, and still no Super Bowl to show for it. Now comes the hard part. They have to get the next head coach right. And as reporter Jay Skurski pointed out, Allen will have a say.

Buffalo is arriving to the coaching market later than most, but it’s not empty. There are still credible names on the board. The first interview went to an in-house option. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady sat down with team leadership Wednesday afternoon, making him not only the first internal candidate, but the first interview overall.

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Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll was linked to the opening almost immediately after Sean McDermott was let go. Daboll spent four seasons in Buffalo as offensive coordinator from 2018 through 2021. He knows the building and he knows the roster. Most importantly, he knows Allen, having played a major role in his early development.

If Allen truly has a voice in this process, there’s one thing that feels fairly clear. The next coach is likely going to lean offense. McDermott was a strong leader, but he came up on the defensive side and handed the offense to his coordinators year after year.

Joe Brady is an OC. Daboll was one. Both are familiar with the organisation. Whomever they go with, Allen will be a big influence.