A Disrespectful Farewell

No respect. No respect at all.

For a man who gave his blood, sweat and tears to an organization that was an utter laughingstock before he took over, the Buffalo Bills treated Sean McDermott’s firing as coldheartedly as possible.

To begin with, the Bills offered a bland statement on behalf of Owner Terry Pegula, and just five words into the lengthy dissertation, a grammatical error appeared: the word “admiral” was used instead of admirable. But the public relations team’s failure to proofread such an important, some would say, historical document was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the organization’s perfunctory dismissal of its former leader.

The Statement

Despite the error in Pegula’s statement, describing the job McDermott did over a near decade as admirable leaves plenty to be desired.

Six straight playoff appearances, five straight division titles, two AFC Championship Game appearances, pulling the team out of a 17-year playoff drought, making the organization viable again — those accomplishments are all left on McDermott’s Bills’ track record. And while, for the sake of the franchise, it appeared to be the right time to let him go, he should have been praised much more so by the owner for his success during his tenure.

But instead, Pegula failed to deliver as usual. We’ll see if he can be bothered to hop in front of a microphone and answer questions in the coming days, something he hasn’t done in the presence of the Bills’ media in years.

Empty Farewell

Typically, when a coach of McDermott’s caliber departs, one way or another, an organization takes it upon themselves to immediately post a goodbye on social media, beyond an owner’s statement. But not the Bills.

Hours have passed since McDermott was fired, and the only post beyond Pegula’s empty words is one announcing the signing of 12 players the team has signed to reserve/future contracts. It’s truly laughable.

Outside Sources

Finally, rather than the team posting McDermott’s farewell statement on their team account, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was the one who shared the former Bills’ head coach’s personal address to Bills fans. The team did not repost the statement.

For a comparison to all of this, look no further than the Baltimore Ravens, who, after firing Head Coach John Harbaugh, posted Harbaugh’s statement directly through the team’s X account and followed it up with a post that thanked him for his 18 years of service to the organization.

The way the Bills handled this whole thing is baffling, and that isn’t to mention the fact that, through it all, General Manager Brandon Beane somehow got a promotion.

We will see if there are additional plans to honor McDermott in the coming days. But for now, the Bills should be ashamed of the way they tossed their former head coach to the curb.

What’s Next?

The situation surrounding McDermott’s firing has sparked a lot of discussion among fans and analysts alike. Many are questioning the decision-making process behind the move, especially given the team’s recent performance and the legacy McDermott built.

Some believe that the timing of the firing was questionable, especially after the team’s disappointing playoff run. Others argue that the organization needed a fresh start, but the manner in which the departure was handled has raised concerns about the culture within the team.

As the Bills look to find a new head coach, the focus will likely shift to how they handle the transition moving forward. Fans are hoping for a more respectful and transparent approach, both in the hiring process and in honoring the contributions of past leaders like McDermott.