Sean McDermott has already decided on his plans for 2026.

Former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has reportedly made his decision on the 2026 season, less than a week after losing his job.

After their heartbreaking overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, the Bills stunned the football world by firing Sean McDermott. He immediately became one of the top HC candidates available, but it sounds like McDermott has already made a decision.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, McDermott hasn’t “engaged” in any of the head coaching openings. Additionally, Rapoport says McDermott is “likely” to take a year off from coaching.

The Bills already interviewed former Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers for their head coaching vacancy. Along with Buffalo, the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders also have head coaching vacancies.

Sean McDermott Made A Wise Decision

Sean McDermott (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
McDermott is one of the best coaches in football. But among all the teams with openings, why would McDermott want to go to the Raiders, Cardinals or Browns, three of football’s worst-run and dysfunctional organizations?

Sean Payton and Mike Vrabel both took a year off before returning to coaching, and look where they are now. McDermott can take a year off, spend more time with his family and then mull over a better choice of coaching options in 2027.

We saw how quickly McDermott turned the long-suffering Bills franchise around, after all. He could easily be the top candidate on the 2027 HC hiring cycle.