Josh Allen Says Bills Were Right to Fire Sean McDermott and Promote Joe Brady

Josh Allen isn't second-guessing the Buffalo Bills for firing Sean McDermott.

The quarterback told People's Natasha Dye that the coaching change was 'necessary,' pointing to Buffalo's decades-long history of coming up short. "I think change is needed sometimes, especially when we've been close in the past, even going back to 20-ish, 30-ish years ago," Allen said. "I think this is kind of a switch that was necessary and I'm very excited."

McDermott's run in Buffalo ended in January 2026, days after the Bills lost to the Denver Broncos in overtime in the divisional round of the playoffs. Team owner Terry Pegula concluded the Bills had hit what he described as a 'playoff wall' under McDermott, according to Fox News.

The Record Behind the Firing

McDermott's numbers weren't bad. He finished 98-50 as Buffalo's head coach, second in franchise wins behind only Marv Levy, and took the Bills to the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons, including seven straight years. His postseason record sat at 8-8.

He didn't get Buffalo to a Super Bowl. That absence of a title is what cost him the job. Sports Illustrated raised a fair question in its coverage: is it reasonable to pin three decades of Bills postseason frustration on one coach's tenure? McDermott inherited a franchise that hadn't sniffed a Super Bowl since the early 1990s, and he still built the winningest era the team has had in years. Some see the record as deserving of a pink slip, while others view it differently. Pegula's 'playoff wall' framing is his own judgment call, not an objective standard.

Still, the Bills were widely seen as the AFC favorite entering the 2025 postseason, with both Kansas City and Baltimore out of the playoff picture, according to Heavy.com. Losing to Denver anyway was, in Heavy's words, 'the final straw.'

Allen's Role in the Search

Allen wasn't just watching from the sideline. He told Fox News Digital that Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane brought him into the coaching search, letting him sit in on interviews and raise questions candidates might not have expected.

"It wasn't my decision, it's not my decision to hire the coach, but to be in those interviews and maybe present some ideas or present some questions that people hadn't thought of from a player's point of view, it was really cool to see that side too," Allen said. He credited Pegula and Beane for including him.

The Bills ultimately promoted from within, elevating offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. Brady had already climbed the organizational ladder in Buffalo, moving from quarterbacks coach to interim offensive coordinator to full-time offensive coordinator before this promotion.

The hire drew skepticism. Brady's fingerprints were on a staff that oversaw three divisional-round exits in the past four seasons, and Fox News noted the criticism directly. Allen dismissed concerns about Brady's inexperience running a team, telling Fox News Digital the transition already feels natural given their existing relationship. "Joe comes off as the most real guy you'll ever meet," Allen said.

A New Stadium, Too

Brady takes over a roster built for immediate contention, and he's inheriting more than a locker room. The Bills are moving into the new, open-air Highmark Stadium this fall, their first new home since 1973, according to Sports Illustrated.

Accounts differ slightly on the schedule specifics. The Red Zone reported Buffalo opens the season on the road against the Houston Texans before its home debut, while Heavy.com reported the Bills will showcase the new stadium during the preseason but that the official Week 2 home opener, a Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Lions, will mark the first real test of the new building in front of a full home crowd.

Allen, for his part, says he's excited for what he called a 'fresh vibe' at the new venue. Whether Brady's first season validates the front office's bet, or adds a fourth divisional-round exit to Buffalo's ledger, plays out starting with training camp at St. John Fisher University this summer.