McDermott’s dismissal suggests the Bills hold him as the one to blame, but observers collectively note Buffalo’s roster deficiencies on both offense and defense as being a significant factor in its elimination, calling into question Pegula’s decision to retain general manager Brandon Beane, whom Pegula rewarded with an additional title of president of football operations on the same day he fired McDermott.
Pegula remained steadfast in his belief in Beane, who sat next to him during Wednesday’s media session.
“I want to express my confidence in the guy sitting next to me, Brandon Beane, and the job he has done in resurrecting this franchise,” Pegula said. “I’m not gonna sit here and defend everything we’ve done as a franchise. But the bottom line is we have attracted good people here.
“I’m aware there’s criticism out there about our franchise. Does anyone know what the numbers 5, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 6 represent? … That’s our seeding over the last seven years in the playoffs. 5, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2, 6. An organization doesn’t carry that kind of record without being a great organization and without having great players. It’s impossible to have that kind of results without having a good roster.”
While Pegula is correct in acknowledging Beane’s accomplishments in transforming the Bills into a perennial contender, it’s important to acknowledge Buffalo’s 2025 squad was one of its weakest in the last five years. Injuries at receiver exposed their lack of depth at the position — a group that has lacked a true top target since moving on from Stefon Diggs and attempting to replace him with 33rd overall pick Keon Coleman in 2024 — and defensive additions like Joey Bosa failed to produce in the most important games. Even beloved cornerback Tre’Davious White — a veteran who proved to be essential in Buffalo’s Wild Card Weekend win over Jacksonville — found himself on the wrong end of a pivotal play in the Divisional Round loss when Broncos receiver Marvin Mims Jr. spend past him off the line of scrimmage, forcing White to commit a defensive pass interference that allowed the Broncos to kick the game-winning field goal.
That sequence — plus an earlier crucial play in which Allen was intercepted (a ruling Bills fans and Pegula himself still dispute) — doomed Buffalo to an all-too-familiar fate. This time, the aftermath of playoff heartbreak included a coach’s termination, the product of too much postseason pain for one franchise to bear.
“I did not fire a coach based on a bad officiating decision,” Pegula said. “If I can take you into that locker room, I felt like we hit the proverbial playoff wall, year after year. Thirteen seconds. Missed field goals. The Catch. So, I just sensed in that locker room, like, where do we go from here with we have? And that was the basis for my decision.”
