This NFL coaching cycle has been one of the strangest in history, and another head coach got canned on Monday. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after nine years with the team.
This comes after Buffalo's 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round, as they once again failed to reach the Super Bowl under McDermott's guidance. With this job now available, it immediately becomes the best one on the market. That could intrigue Mike McDaniel, which isn't the best news for the Detroit Lions.
Mike McDaniel Could Jump atop Bills HC Candidates
McDaniel has made his rounds around the league, interviewing with the Falcons, Browns, Titans, and Ravens for their head coaching openings. He also spoke with the Lions and Buccaneers regarding their OC openings, with the Eagles expressing interest. It shows that plenty of teams around the league have interest in his services, but this opportunity in Buffalo may be too good to pass up for McDaniel.
Detroit's offense is dynamic, with skilled playmakers such as Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta at its disposal. This is a coach's dream in terms of having a variety of difference-makers to use.
While this is one of the best landing spots at OC around the league, this opening in Buffalo will change the game. And that's because of Josh Allen. He's one of the best QBs in the league, as shown by his 2024 MVP campaign.
The opportunity to become the head coach for a 29-year-old superstar quarterback is something that may be too good to pass up. If McDaniel took his talents to Detroit, it would come as the OC. There's no overtaking Dan Campbell, but the goal for McDaniel is become a head coach once again.
McDaniel's tenure with the Dolphins featured a pair of playoff appearances, but those experiences were brief as Miami was ultimately bounced in the first round twice. Yet, throughout his time in Miami, McDaniel crafted an explosive and dynamic offense. In his four seasons as the Dolphins' play caller, they ranked eighth in the NFL in both net yards per game (348.0) and passing yards per game (232.8). They also recorded the sixth-best yards per carry average (4.54) and the 12th-most points scored per game (23.3).
His ability to craft impressive game scripts is something that will make him a likely candidate for the Bills. Especially since McDermott was a defensive-minded coach, Buffalo may want to go in another direction to maximize Allen's window.
McDaniel is likely to get another chance to become a head coach in this league, and with another opening on the market, the likelihood of him joining the Lions just became slimmer. And when Allen is the signal caller, that kind of pull could be more alluring than anything Detroit can offer.