Bills' McDermott Facing Hot Seat Warnings For One Simple Reason

Since Sean McDermott's arrival there has been plenty of winning in Western New York. The Buffalo Bills have risen back to prominence, restoring their power atop the AFC hierarchy.

Much of this is a credit to the head coach. McDermott has powered an 86-45 record since in his eight years at the helm, leading the Bills to a pair of AFC Championship Games in that time. 

Granted, the Bills finding Josh Allen also contributes a great deal here. But Buffalo systematically and culturally has a much different feel than they did a decade ago. 

The renaissance has been great. The five straight years of dominance over the AFC East even better. One blemish, however, hovers over the legacy McDermott has established with the Bills. 

Buffalo last appeared in a Super Bowl in 1994. Having not one in the history of the franchise, fans are starved for the team to right that wrong, make it back to the big game and secure that holy grail. 

If Buffalo falls short once again, some believe the Bills may want to examine a potential change in leadership. CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan listed McDermott among his coaches on the hottest seats heading into next season. 

"Under McDermott, Buffalo has been unable to get over the hump, win the conference and advance to the Super Bowl with the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. As they've been with most other teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the main roadblock for Buffalo, which has lost to them in four of its past five playoff runs. 

"If he cannot break through that ceiling yet again in 2025, it may force the Buffalo brass to seriously consider finding a new leader who may have a better chance to take the franchise up a notch."

For all that McDermott has accomplished, is it fair to be on the hot seat at this point? From that side, no. That is not the only part to be examined here. 

Allen is entering his prime years and if the idea is to maximize their championship window, he must be priority No. 1. The Bills cannot drag out McDermott's tenure hoping something changes if it simply will not. 

Yet, it's a complicated matter because McDermott has done everything else to deserve the leash and time to figure this thing out. Assuming the Bills fail to break through once again, that faith in the head coach will be supremely tested.