Given his success with the Buffalo Bills, it might come as a surprise that Sean McDermott hasn't beenmentioned for any of the vacant head-coaching jobsaround the league. That might be by design, as McDermott is reportedly "likely" to take a year off of coaching, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
While McDermott's plans are unclear, the people he's talked to have reportedly told McDermott it was "beneficial" and "worth it" to take a year off following a long coaching stint with a team, per Rapoport.
McDermott's track record should have made him one of the more desirable head coaches on the market. In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott led the team to a 98-50 record, making the playoffs in eight of those seasons. He reached the AFC championship game twice, where he fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs both times.
But McDermott's firing came at an awkward time in the coaching cycle. Both John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski were already off the market, going to the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. The same day McDermott was fired, the Miami Dolphins filled their opening with Jeff Hafley. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee Titans agreed to a deal with Robert Saleh. McDermott didn't have a shot at any of those jobs.
While the Baltimore Ravens' job was still open — and among the more desirable landing spots for McDermott — it didn't stay that way for long. Three days after McDermott was fired, theteam named Jesse Minter as its next head coach.
As of Sunday,only four jobs remain open. The Bills remain the most desirable landing spot, though McDermott isn't going back there. The three other options are the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. All three teams look to be in desperate need of a rebuild, and it's unclear whether McDermott wants to take that on. He's been successful enough over his career that he could wait a season and see if a more desirable landing spot opens up. McDermott would likely be among the biggest names on the market if he takes a year off and interviews for jobs again next offseason.
Given the state of the teams still looking for a new head coach, that might be McDermott's best play at this point. By sitting out a year, McDermott should have his pick of the head-coaching jobs next offseason. And he could wind up with a team in a much better position to win games compared to the options on the table right now.
