In 2017, the Bills were deep in a rebuild after nearly two decades without a playoff appearance. That’s when new head coach Sean McDermott promised a new approach, and Buffalo icon Jim Kelly bought into the vision. McDermott delivered, guiding the franchise back to the postseason every year since 2019. The breakthrough to the Super Bowl, however, remained just out of reach, and eventually, the coach was fired. That doesn’t mean Kelly’s stance on McDermott has changed. Quite the contrary, actually.

“Well said, Coach! Buffalo is going to miss you!” Kelly wrote on his Instagram story, reacting to McDermott’s farewell message. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the team and Mafia! You’re one of the best!”

Alongside these wholesome words, he re-shared McDermott’s emotional message for the Bills Mafia after his firing.

“For nearly a decade I have had the opportunity to wake up every morning as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills, which has truly been a gift,” McDermott wrote. “I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Pegula family, the Buffalo Bills organization, and to the fans for allowing me to live out the dream of being a Head Coach in the NFL in this incredibly special place.”

McDermott was a defensive coordinator for years before the Bills hired him as a head coach. And his arrival in Buffalo built a winning culture, something they hadn’t experienced in decades. That’s what Kelly expected from him anyway, but his support also came with a dose of criticism sometimes.

For instance, in 2017, when cornerback Tre’Davious White took an illegal hit from the Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski, Kelly was surprised that Buffalo players didn’t defend White. Sure, the league later decided to suspend ‘Gronk’ for one game, but Kelly expected White’s teammates to retaliate against a hit that landed the player in the concussion protocol.

“We had three guys standing there,” Kelly had mentioned back then. “As a quarterback, I would have run over and given [Gronkowski] a good shot.”

But truth be told, it was not as if Buffalo didn’t react at all. Safety Jordan Poyer proceeded to shove Gronkowski after he hit White. Even linebacker Preston Brown and cornerback Lafayette Pitts, who were standing near White, looked at the officials to make sure a flag was thrown.

As for McDermott, he defended his players after the incident. He was proud that his players showed poise.

Sean McDermott and Jim Kelly had a similar ending with the Bills

Remember how Kelly’s career ended? From 1988 to 1996, which was the team’s golden era, Kelly continuously put his body on the line. By the final season, he was completely worn down. In 1996, he was sacked 37 times, the second-highest in his entire career. He even threw more interceptions than touchdowns that year.

Plus, Bills fans often ridiculed the quarterback as the franchise faced four consecutive Super Bowl losses.

But in 2002, when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the battered and bruised version of Kelly was forgotten. Fans only remembered their hero and the golden era.

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Sean McDermott, after his firing, might encounter a similar fate. Over the years he spent with the team, many of his decisions have been criticized. His playoff losses, poor rushing defense, and bad in-game decision-making have been questioned in recent times. But it can’t be denied that he accustomed the team to winning games.

His 98 wins are second in franchise history.

But struggles in the postseason ultimately led to his firing. Now moving forward towards the 2026 season, the newly promoted president of football operations, Brandon Beane, has begun his search for a new head coach with a surprising name emerging as a favorite.

Ex-Giants HC emerges as Sean McDermott’s replacement

After relieving Sean McDermott of his duties, the Buffalo Bills have been looking at several available candidates. Beane and the Bills front office are zeroing in on former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll as the McDermott successor. The Athletic’s Diana Russini first reported this development.

“Talking to NFL executives around the league about Buffalo’s next head coach options, the name that keeps coming up is a familiar one, a Buffalo native and someone Josh Allen loves: Brian Daboll,” Russini reported on X.

Daboll has a close relationship with Josh Allen since both joined the Bills in 2018. Daboll served as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator for four years before being hired as the Giants’ head coach.

This success coincided with Josh Allen’s rise to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

With Josh Allen throwing for 25 touchdowns this season, his fewest since his second season in 2019, Brian Daboll could be the catalyst the Bills Mafia has hoped for, and could finally result in bringing the Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo.

But apart from Daboll, the franchise also plans on interviewing Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Washington Commanders run game coordinator and running backs coach Anthony Lynn is also in the mix. However, Daboll and Anarumo will have their interviews first.