Josh Allen Reveals How He Found Out About Bills' Decision to Fire Sean McDermott

Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula reached out to star quarterback Josh Allen directly to inform him of the decision to fire coach Sean McDermott.

Allen told reporters he called McDermott after learning of the move.

The four-time Pro Bowler also believes he had an indirect role in the coaching change.

"I have nothing but love and respect for Coach McDermott," he said. "… I had part in (his firing). If I make one more play in Denver, we're not sitting here right now having this press conference. We're probably getting ready to play another game."

Allen also discussed how he's looking forward to playing under Joe Brady after Brady's promotion:

It doesn't appear there was a major discord between Allen and McDermott leading up to the latter's ouster. Pegula also denied that the quarterback had any input in the process.

Allen is probably correct, though, in pointing to Buffalo's 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos as the decisive factor in determining McDermott's fate.

▶️ Full Bills-Broncos Recap

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The Bills made the playoffs in eight of McDermott's nine seasons as head coach, and they had a run of five straight AFC East titles between 2020-24. The continued absence of a Super Bowl appearance was clearly too much to ignore, though.

If the Bills beat the Broncos and then go on to take down the New England Patriots in the AFC championship, then McDermott is probably coming back for 2026. When that didn't happen, nine years was a big enough sample with which to judge the suitability of him returning.

Allen will also turn 30 in May. He's not getting any younger, which heightens the level of urgency internally. The organization can't afford to effectively waste a season with a head coach it doesn't fully believe in.

Allen's remarks reflect the burden that's placed onto franchise quarterbacks. Their performance can often dictate the job security of various coaches and the general manager, along with how some of the roster is constructed.

That fact isn't lost on the 2024 NFL MVP.