Josh Allen has never had a problem owning a bad throw. It turns out he hasn’t stopped owning a coaching change, either.
Seven months after the Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott, quarterback Josh Allen told Michael Silver of The Athletic that he still carries some of the responsibility for the decision. Buffalo moved on from McDermott after nine seasons on January 19, 2026, two days after a gutting 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
“I think about that all the time,” Allen said. “There are certain plays throughout the game — and that’s going to be every game — where you’re like, ‘I could have done more.’ And I always feel like I can do more.”
It’s a short quote. It carries a lot of weight anyway.
What happened in Denver
Allen threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns in that divisional-round game, and he added 66 rushing yards on 12 carries. He also threw two interceptions, including a disputed overtime pick when a pass to Brandin Cooks was ruled an interception rather than a catch, a call McDermott openly disagreed with afterward, according to the New York Post. Denver won in the extra period, ending Buffalo’s season and, two days later, McDermott’s tenure.
McDermott left with a 98-50 regular-season record and an 8-8 playoff mark, but no Super Bowl trip in nine years, per ESPN. He and Allen went 0-4 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason and lost twice in the AFC Championship Game without ever getting further.
| Category | Sean McDermott, Bills (2017-2025) |
|---|---|
| Regular-season record | 98-50 |
| Playoff record | 8-8 |
| AFC Championship appearances | 2 (both losses) |
| Super Bowl appearances | 0 |
Allen on Joe Brady taking over
The Bills promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach after McDermott’s exit, a move that kept continuity in place for Allen, who won 2024 MVP honors while Brady was calling his plays. Some reporting in the offseason suggested Allen had heavy input in that hire. Allen and Silver’s sourcing push back on that framing. Sources familiar with the search told The Athletic that Allen was never part of the actual hiring discussions, though he did talk to candidates and gave feedback after their interviews.
Allen was more direct about how he sees Brady’s path to the job. He said Brady “went out there and he earned” it, crediting how he interviewed and how hard he worked as a coordinator. That’s a notably different story than the idea of a quarterback picking his own boss — Allen’s version has Brady winning the role on merit, not influence.
Why this still matters in August
None of this changes the calendar. Buffalo is in training camp, a new stadium is opening this year, and the roster looks different than the one that lost in Denver. General manager Brandon Beane went out and added wide receiver D.J. Moore, edge rusher Bradley Chubb and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason, an aggressive round of additions built around the idea that the Bills’ quarterback is still in his prime and the window hasn’t closed.
That’s exactly why Allen’s comments land the way they do. A guy who just signed off on his 2024 MVP season and has led Buffalo to the playoffs virtually every year of his career is still replaying an overtime interception in his head in August. It’s less about assigning blame to any one person and more about how Allen processes losing at all. He’s said before that he thinks he can always do more, and this is that same instinct pointed backward at a coaching change he didn’t ask for and says he didn’t orchestrate.
Brady inherits a roster many analysts view as a Super Bowl contender again, but Buffalo has heard that before. The only thing that’s changed is who’s calling the plays — and, if Allen’s comments are any indication, who’s still losing sleep over how the last one ended.
