Sean McDermott was voted as the fifth-best NFL head coach by a panel of AP football writers.
The poll, which placed Andy Reid first and John Harbaugh second, slotted McDermott behind Sean McVay. The Buffalo Bills head coach pipped Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton to fifth, having received two fourth-place votes and one fifth-place vote from the eight-person panel.
Reid collected seven out of eight first-place votes, according to Rob Maaddi of AP News. Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles was the only other coach to receive a first-place vote, but he only finished in third place overall.
McDermott received a vote in the 2024 version of this poll. He did not place in the top five, however. Kyle Shanahan and Mike Tomlin ranked third and fourth, respectively, 12 months ago. Both head coaches have fallen out of the top five.
Bills Outlook
The Bills have a sportsbook win total of 12.5. PFF projects Buffalo for 11.6 wins in 2025 after they went 13-4 in 2024. They have had double-digit wins in each of the last six seasons and recorded exactly 13 regular-season wins in three of the previous five campaigns.
McDermott has an 86-45 record as a head coach. Only seven head coaches in NFL history have won more games at a higher winning percentage. Jim Harbaugh is the only active coach with more wins and a better winning percentage than McDermott, though Harbaugh notably had a decade-long NFL absence between leaving the San Francisco 49ers and joining the Los Angeles Chargers.
The combination of McDermott and Josh Allen as good as guarantees a playoff spot for the Bills. Joshua Palmer was a smart addition to the wide receiver corps, while Joey Bosa was a blockbuster acquisition to improve their pass rush. Entering his second season, Keon Coleman is a serious breakout candidate, and all five offensive line starters return to provide continuity in front of Allen.
If Allen is healthy throughout the regular season, Buffalo should cruise into the playoffs once again. None of their divisional rivals are a realistic threat to win the AFC East.
McDermott Success Increases Fantasy Potential
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo’s leading receiver in 2024, was only WR40. His ADP is 41.5, according to Fantasy Pros, while Coleman is WR52 by ADP, putting him behind Josh Downs and Matthew Golden.
Coleman and Shakir aren’t big names, but they are excellent mid-to-late-round selections in fantasy drafts with McDermott at the helm and Allen under center. Stefon Diggs was between WR3 and WR12 from 2020 to 2023 as a member of the Bills. They might not reach those heights, but Coleman and Shakir could both be top 25 receivers if the Bills offense is as elite as it has been in the McDermott-Allen era.
Then, there’s Dalton Kincaid. He was TE16 in 2023 and TE28 in 2024. He’s a candidate to be a top 10 fantasy tight end after averaging 10.2 yards per reception last season.
