In an offseason where the Cincinnati Bengals zagged with continuity on their coaching staff led by Zac Taylor, much of the league zigged in favor of fresh starts. Even teams with long-established head coaches.
That was the case yet again on Monday. The Buffalo Bills were evidently tired of Sean McDermott not gettting the most out of Josh Allen's prime, with nary a Super Bowl appearance to show for the superstar quarterback's eight seasons.
Just like all the other AFC North coaches not named Taylor before him and several others across the league, McDermott was fired, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
We now have 10 head coaching vacancies in total. And because of Allen, Buffalo may well be the most coveted one. Not great for the Bengals!
Josh Allen all but guaranteed to get head coach upgrade, which is tough news for Joe Burrow & Bengals
Look, my personal take is that McDermott should've been fired on the spot when that infamous story broke about his 9/11 terrorist analogy at a team meeting.
The content of what McDermott said was appalling. It went beyond that, though. To be that much of a dense imbecile in resorting to a mass tragedy as a means of emphasizing a message about teamwork? Probably an even bigger red flag.
We all say things we regret, but like, McDermott's mishap there was just too weird to take him seriously anymore.
Now Josh Allen gets a presumptive upgrade at the most key leadership post that will determine the trajectory of the rest of his career. Every single brilliant offensive mind should be lining up to interview for Buffalo.
The Bengals face an uphill battle to reascend in the AFC. That's the big takeaway from this news from a Cincinnati perspective. They're hamstrung by money-stingy ownership, an under-resourced scouting department, a personnel figurehead who couldn't be more out of step with modern football if he tried, and a good-not-great head coach in Taylor.
I've said it before, but while the Bengals' continuity should help them in their own division in 2026 and give them a leg up on other teams in the short-term, this was the ultimate time for a reboot. They refused to take it.
Moving off McDermott is something of a risk for the Bills. His defenses have gotten shredded in the playoffs time and again, but at least there's comfort and familiarity there for Allen. Big salute to Buffalo for making the tough call.
Unlike other coaching vacancies where a rebuild is ahead, Allen symbolizes instant Super Bowl contention.
If any team won't take a step back, but rather catapult forward, among those looking for a new head coach, it's the Buffalo Bills. And they're among the biggest threats to Burrow's Bengals in the AFC, if not the biggest, thanks to Josh Allen. What a bummer.