Which Head Coach Can Bills Hire to Finally Get Josh Allen a Super Bowl?

The Buffalo Bills came excruciatingly close to upsetting the top-seeded Denver Broncos on Saturday. However, a series of mistakes and questionable calls led to a loss, and ultimately to the firing of head coach Sean McDarmott.

On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Bills "are moving on" from McDermott after nine seasons.

The decision feels unjustified, considering the challenges Buffalo faced this season and the events that led to Saturday's loss. Despite having a plethora of key contributors on the injury report against a well-rested Broncos team in Denver, Buffalo managed to take things to overtime.

The Bills even appeared to be on the doorstep of victory when Brandin Cooks appeared to catch a Josh Allen pass at the Broncos' 20-yard line and hit the ground—before Ja'Quan McMillan ripped the ball away, and it was ruled an interception.

In an offseason that has seen both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers part with their longtime head coaches, though, Buffalo decided it was time for a change. McDermott delivered eight playoff berths in nine seasons but never made it to the Super Bowl despite having one of the league's top quarterbacks.

Change is coming to Buffalo this offseason, and the Bills have a lot of work ahead of them. Let's dive into their 2026 to-do list, which will begin with finding a head coach who can get Allen into the Super Bowl.

Hire the Right Head Coach

If we're being honest, general manager Brandon Beane probably deserves more blame for Buffalo's latest loss than McDermott does. He put together an expensive roster with glaring holes that lacked the depth needed to overcome its late-season injuries.

The roster Buffalo carried into the offseason was arguably the weakest we've seen from a Bills team in recent years, in part, because of those injuries. The offense still hasn't found a go-to receiver, and the defense was missing Terrel Bernard, Jordan Poyer, Maxwell Hairston, and Michael Hoecht.

The fact that the Bills went to overtime against the AFC's top seed after five turnovers should have reflected positively on McDermott and his staff, not against them. However, there's no getting around the fact that McDermott is a defensive coach and watched his team cough up 33 points to an inconsistent Broncos offense.

It's also clear that Bills ownership blamed McDermott for not getting more out of Allen, who has been one of the league's best quarterbacks since the 2020 season.

In an effort to get the most out of Allen and to build a championship-caliber offense, Buffalo will likely focus on offensive candidates this cycle. Defensive coaches like Brian Flores and Jesse Minter may get some consideration, but offensive coaches like Mike McDaniel, Klint Kubiak, and former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll would make the most sense. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady—who had an interview with the Ravens on Sunday—could be an internal option.

Former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy looms as a more experienced candidate—one with a Lombardi Trophy on his resume—but if the Bills want an up-and-coming, long-term replacement, Kubiak would be the best option for Buffalo.

The 38-year-old has no prior head-coaching experience, but he's a creative play-caller who has had Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold looking like an MVP candidate at points this season. A former bust of the New York Jets, Darnold will be playing for a trip to the Super Bowl next Sunday.

Kubiak has the creative mind needed to put an effective offensive system around Allen, and after working with five franchises over the past five years, he should have the connections needed to assemble a quality staff.

And if Kubiak proves to be the right coach for Buffalo, he's young enough to steer the ship for multiple decades.

Devise a Plan to Return Allen to MVP Form

The narrative exists that the Bills have a bad roster and were only ever in the playoff mix because Allen does things no other quarterback can do. That perception likely played a huge role in him winning the league MVP award last season—and there is some truth to it.

A team with a lesser quarterback probably wouldn't have overcome Buffalo's roster holes, injuries, and inconsistent defense and still pushed into overtime of the divisional round.

Yet, we have to be honest and recognize that the Bills also lost on Saturday because Allen had one of the worst games of his career. He was responsible for four of Buffalo's five turnovers, and they largely occurred when he was trying to do too much.

With just one or two fewer turnovers on Saturday, the Bills would probably be headed to the AFC Championship. Whoever takes over as Buffalo's next coach must have a game plan for returning Allen to his MVP form.

Two years ago, Brady relied heavily on the run, regularly schemed up easy throws, and largely prevented Allen from playing hero ball on a regular basis. He finished the 2024 season with only six interceptions and two lost fumbles. He had 13 turnovers in 2025.

Creating an offense that requires Allen to take fewer risks might be the surest way to get Buffalo back to the top of the AFC East—and yes, that may require an upgraded receiving corps. He had multiple turnovers in regular-season losses to the Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and Houston Texans this season.

With a few fewer turnovers during the regular season, Buffalo might have been hosting a playoff game this past weekend, possibly even as the No. 1 seed. If Allen can get back to protecting the football as he did two years ago, the Bills will have a great chance to be in a better position entering next postseason.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's time to turn Allen into some sort of high-end game manager. He can make plays with his legs and take shots down the field—ideally to a new No. 1 receiver—without being reckless.

This is a big reason why an offensive coach like Kubiak would be logical, and it's worth noting that Kubiak found ways to overcome Darnold's turnover issues and still field the league's third-ranked scoring offense.

Convince Beane to Change His Approach

Beane has to bear some blame for this season's shortcomings. However, the Bills announced on Monday that he'll now serve as the team's president of football operations and will lead the search for a new head coach.

While finding a coach becomes Beane's first priority of 2026, he also needs to change his approach to roster building. His plan over the last few seasons has left Buffalo in a financial bind.

The Bills are currently projected to be over the 2026 salary cap, and they have a myriad of noteworthy contributors slated to hit the market. Their list of impending free agents includes Matt Milano, DaQuan Jones, A.J. Epenesa, Joey Bosa, David Edwards, Connor McGovern, Brandin Cooks, Matt Prater, and Mitch Wishnowsky.

Beane won't be able to keep everyone, which will further diminish a roster that already needs help at wide receiver, along the defensive front, along the offensive line, and at cornerback.

Prioritizing the offensive line together would be advisable, as Edwards and McGovern are reliable starters. Protecting Allen will be critical, and good linemen aren't easy to find.

Allen was sacked a career-high 40 times during the regular season, and he lost three fumbles on Saturday. Clearly, Buffalo can't skimp on its pass protection, even with one of the game's more elusive signal-callers running the offense.

A new head coach might be able to get more production out of the receivers Buffalo has under contract than McDermott and Brady did. However, there really isn't a substitute for having a true go-to target.

However, Beane must find ways to replace other positions with younger and cheaper talent, through the draft if at all possible. He'll also have to consider trading or releasing players to truly target the roster's problem areas.

Releasing receiver Curtis Samuel, for example, would save $6.3 million. Releasing tight end Dawson Knox with a post-June 1 designation would create another $12 million in cap space.

Once Beane has improved his cap situation, he can look to fix the team's three biggest liabilities: a bad run defense, an underwhelming pass rush, and the lack of a No. 1 receiver.

Fill Those 3 Critical Holes

If Beane had an unlimited budget this season, he would be wise to throw money at his defensive front and the receiving corps.

Buffalo's defense ranked 30th in yards per carry allowed in 2025 while logging a mere 36 sacks. That's not good enough in a division now led by Drake Maye and the Patriots, and it won't be good enough if the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals are back to form in 2026 either.

As the Broncos, Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks showed over the weekend, dominating defense will carry a team far into the postseason.

Of course, Beane can't just throw money at defensive tackles and linebackers, but he can consider more budget-friendly free agents such as edge-rusher Kyle Van Noy or target prospects like Alabama defensive lineman LT Overton early in the draft.

The Bills currently own seven draft selections, including the 26th overall pick.

Buffalo can't keep trying to patch together a receiving corps, either. The lack of a truly reliable No. 1 receiver was obvious all season, and it was downright glaring against Denver.

Cooks' inability to make that fateful overtime completion will leave a lasting impression, but Mecole Hardman had a critical drop on the play before it.

Keon Coleman was supposed to give Allen a reliable possession receiver. However, the 2024 second-round pick hasn't developed into that, was benched multiple times in 2025, and now looms as a potential trade candidate.

A new head coach might be able to get more production out of the receivers Buffalo has under contract than McDermott and Brady did. However, there really isn't a substitute for having a true go-to target.

It's time for Buffalo to get the sort of No. 1 receiver they once had in Stefon Diggs. Whether that means generating the cap space to trade for a veteran such as A.J. Brown or going all-in for a top prospect like USC's Makai Lemon, the Bills have to find a target Allen can trust in critical situations.

Until Allen has a capable receiving corps on which he can depend, it'll be hard to envision Buffalo as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, regardless of who is coaching the team.

*Cap and contract information from Spotrac.