Two days after their divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday, the Buffalo Bills shocked the league byfiring their head coach, Sean McDermott. GM Brandon Beane will reportedly retain his job and find McDermott's replacement.
The move follows a busy weekend that saw the two biggest names on the NFL head coaching market officially find new teams to lead.
After about two days of curious silence since news broke of their pending union, theNew York Giants and John Harbaugh finalized their dealSaturday, and theGiants made the hire official.The deal is expected to be five years in length and with a total value of $100 million — one of the largest contracts in the league — according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
Harbaugh becomes the Giants' fifth head coach (seven counting interims) since Tom Coughlin resigned in January 2016. Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is reportedly expected to join Harbaugh on his staff.
Also on Saturday, the Atlanta Falconsofficially announcedthat Kevin Stefanski will be the team's next head coach. The former Cleveland Browns coach takes over for Raheem Morris, becoming the Falcons' third head coach in the past six seasons and 20th in franchise history.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is standing pat with its leadership.Head coach Matt LaFleur is reportedly get a contract extension,as is general manager Brian Gutekunst. There was some question if LaFleur would return after the Packers lost their last five games, including blowing an 18-point lead against the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round, but the Packers' braintrust ultimately chose to bring them back after injuries ravaged what looked at times like a Super Bowl team this season.
There was another monumental shift in the coaching ranks last week, as longtimePittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stepped awayfrom the team after a 19-year run. His decision came less than 24 hours after theSteelers lost 30-6against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. With the move, the Steelers will look to hire their third coach since 1969.Tomlin reportedly isn't looking to coach in 2026,and any team that wants to hire him before his contract runs out in 2027 will likely have towork out a trade with Pittsburgh.
Here's a rundown of the hirings, firings and buzzy situations to watch.
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HIRED
John Harbaugh, New York Giants
Head coaching record:180-113 regular season, 13-11 playoffs (including a Super Bowl title), 18 seasons with Baltimore Ravens
Why he was hired:The Giants have had four full-time head coaches and two interims since Tom Coughlin resigned after the 2015 season, and they're fed up with the turnover. Harbaugh is 63, but he has a lot of juice left and figures to bring stability to a proud franchise that's fallen on some of the hardest times it's ever faced. (The Giants' 59 wins since 2015 are the second-fewest in the NFL, ahead of only the Jets).
There's talent to develop on the roster betweenQB Jaxson Dart(who might sync well withHarbaugh's preferred offensive coordinator, Todd Monken), RB Cam Skattebo, WR Malik Nabers, LT Andrew Thomas, and a defense that includes DT Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. There's also a general manager in Joe Schoen, asYahoo Sports' Charles Robinson explained,who was apparently willing to cede personnel decision-making to Harbaugh despite the nominal hierarchy inside the franchise. And team owner John Mara, one of the more influential voices in the league, revealed he's battling an undisclosed form of cancer last September, which likely emboldened the desire for a head coach to come in and command respect immediately.
The Giants have floundered for years, but landing the coach widely viewed as the best on the market brings back instant credibility. Now we'll see how quickly they can win together.
HIRED
Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons
Head coaching record:45-56 regular season, 1-2 playoffs, six seasons with Cleveland Browns
Why he was hired:Stefanski was one of the top names on the market, with the NFL at large looking at more than just his wins and losses with the Browns while trying to lift a struggling franchise into playoff contention. Sound familiar, Atlanta? Stefanski's offensive acumen is a hybrid of multiple schemes and coaching trees, which can helpnew president of football Matt Ryansort through the talent the Falcons have on that side of the ball (including Kirk Cousins, whom Stefanski coached in Minnesota). They're alsoretaining defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrichafter the Falcons' defense made big strides this season.Stefanski as head coach and offensive mastermind, with Ulbrich sticking around to continue building his side of the ball? That's a solid recipe going forward, even if the answer at quarterback and no first-round pick this spring present significant challenges. If team owner Arthur Blank is finally willing to be patient and let this project play out, Stefanski could end the Falcons' eight-year playoff drought sooner than expected, especially in a weak NFC South.
FIRED
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Record with team:105-57 (including playoffs), nine seasons
Why he was fired:Quite simply, McDermott didn't reach a Super Bowl with Josh Allen, who won NFL MVP in 2024 and is arguably the best quarterback in the league. Even with Allen playing an uncharacteristically sloppy game in Saturday's divisional-round loss to the Denver Broncos, there were ample chances to win, and McDermott's Bills couldn't get it done. No team has arguably been victimized more by the recent Chiefs dynasty than the Bills, who lost to Kansas City four times in the playoffs, and in every way imaginable — from the infamous 13 seconds game in the 2021 season, to at home in the divisional round in the 2023 season, to both a blowout (2020 season) and a close game (2024 season) at Arrowhead. But there have been other gut-wrenching losses too, including Saturday's, and the Bills decided they had enough of a coach who helped the defense constantly overperform its talent but went just 8-8 in the playoffs, and ceded the AFC East to the rising New England Patriots this season.
STEPPED DOWN
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Record with team:201-126-2 (including playoffs), 19 seasons
Why he stepped down:After nearly two decades of success in Pittsburgh, Tomlin faced criticism in recent seasons for his failure to make deep postseason runs. It's possible those demands began to weigh on Tomlin after such a long time coaching. It's also possible he was simply ready to take a break after nearly 20 years in a high-stress role. Since Tomlin is leaving — and was not fired — the Steelers still hold his rights should he want to return to coaching. Tomlin also could opt to take a gap year or two before returning to the game. If he decides to get back into coaching, he would presumably be a highly sought-after target for teams.
FIRED
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans (in season)Brian Daboll, New York Giants (in season)Raheem Morris, Atlanta FalconsKevin Stefanski, Cleveland BrownsPete Carroll, Las Vegas RaidersJonathan Gannon, Arizona CardinalsJohn Harbaugh, Baltimore RavensMike McDaniel, Miami DolphinsSean McDermott, Buffalo Bills