At this time, Sean McDermott can clearly feel the difference between last offseason and this one. A year ago, the former Buffalo Bills head coach was deep into preparations for the 2025 NFL Draft. This time, he’s at home, spending time with family and quietly preparing for the next phase of his career.
When Buffalo moved on from McDermott after their Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos, most teams with coaching vacancies were already close to finalizing their hires. That left him with limited immediate options. But instead of stepping into a coordinator role, he chose a different route, one that several established head coaches have taken before: stepping away for a year.
Now three months removed from his role, McDermott is still very much engaged with the game. In a recent interview with The Athletic, he shared that he’s following an 11 to 12-month plan focused on growth and reflection. That approach involves taking a step back and evaluating his own process in ways his previous chaotic schedule as an NFL head coach never allowed.
He’s also spending time with leaders across sports, different programs, and even corporate environments, looking to refine his leadership style before returning to the sidelines.
The goal is straightforward. When the next opportunity comes, he wants to be better prepared, more aware, and more complete as a leader. And given how often teams cycle through head coaches each year, that opportunity is likely to come.
His résumé already makes a case. McDermott took over a struggling franchise, ended a 17-year playoff drought in his first season, reached the postseason in eight of nine years, and compiled a 98-50 record.
“When you stop asking questions, that’s when you get yourself into trouble,” McDermott told The Athletic. “People who are leaders, who think they have all the answers and aren’t asking questions, are the ones, I feel like, that run into trouble sooner or later, just in terms of not being the best versions of themselves. … So, I’m passionate about that; passionate about growing and evolving, and I think the NFL is so competitive, and you’ve got to be continually asking yourself, ‘What, why, how?’ If you want to continue to be successful, it’s in the margins.”
McDermott has been in the NFL since 2001 and has worked under coaches like Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo before his time in Buffalo. Over nine seasons with the Bills, he built a strong culture and consistent regular-season success, though postseason results, including the recent loss to Denver, ultimately shaped the outcome of his tenure.
Now, he’s following a path others have taken in similar situations. Mike McCarthy has done it before, and Mike Tomlin is reportedly considering a similar approach. What sets McDermott apart, though, is the structured way he’s approaching this period, focusing on leadership development before returning to potentially lead another NFL team.
Sean McDermott has taken a page out of Andy Reid’s playbook
During his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Andy Reid would often encourage Sean McDermott to use the offseason to travel and learn from other coaches rather than relying only on Reid’s system. McDermott followed that advice for years, and it eventually helped shape his path to becoming an NFL head coach.
Now, for the first time in decades, he finds himself without a team and is returning to that same approach. The difference this time is the scope. McDermott isn’t limiting himself to football. He’s expanding beyond it.
Recently, he spent time with Mark Daigneault, who led the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City. He also connected with Dan Gable, a well-known figure in collegiate and Olympic wrestling.
Looking ahead, McDermott is planning to attend PricewaterhouseCoopers’ annual leadership conference and is set to meet Robert Gates, now the chancellor of his alma mater, William & Mary, later in May. Speaking to The Athletic, he explained his mindset:
“I could go visit people I know, but I already know what they’re about and what they believe in. But (I’m) visiting some people that do things a little bit different than maybe I’ve done. … It’s this guy that seems to have had success, or this gal’s had success and their personalities may be a little bit different than mine. So, I’d like to get in on the ground floor and just see how they handle the day in and day out and how it translates to the NFL.”
That approach extends beyond sports. McDermott has also been engaging with leaders in the corporate world, even if the overlap with football isn’t always direct. The idea, though, remains consistent. He’s using this time to broaden his perspective and refine his leadership by learning from different environments.
