Just when we were finally gaining some clarity in the Cleveland Browns head coach search, the Buffalo Bills swooped in with nuclear warfare.
The Browns are about to embark on a week full of in-person interviews for their vacant job, but Buffalo’s bombshell decision to fire Sean McDermott on Monday could send Cleveland, and the NFL’s now seven other teams looking for a head coach, back to Square 1.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, McDermott’s intention is to immediately explore opportunities in this year’s hiring cycle.
Former Bills HC Sean McDermott could well emerge as a head coaching candidate for some teams that now have an opening. McDermott told his staff today that he intends to continue coaching. pic.twitter.com/ZycMWClOwy
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2026
For Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Andrew Berry, new scenarios are now on the table. Do they move quickly to speak with McDermott, similar to how things went down after the Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh? Could they potentially lose out on their favorite candidates, with the allure of Buffalo’s ready-made roster and quarterback Josh Allen now shooting to No. 1 on the lists of best jobs available?
This was always going to be a methodical process for Cleveland, which was highly unlikely to make a hire this week, due to how they’ve approached the NFL’s Rooney Rule for minority coaches.
And while Browns fans have been calling for more urgency, their team’s approach might’ve just been rewarded, as the 2026 landscape is suddenly much different on Jan. 19 than it was back on Black Monday, Jan. 5.
The Browns just lost control of their coaching search (thanks to the Bills)
The Browns have shown some interest in defensive-minded candidates, led by Schwartz, Jesse Minter, and Chris Shula. If there’s a desire to go in that direction over another “offensive guru” like Kevin Stefanski, it’s hard to beat McDermott’s track record on paper.
McDermott leaves the Bills with a 98-50 overall record in the regular season, including seven straight years with 10-plus wins. Buffalo played in 16 total playoff games over his nine-year tenure, but they never reached the Super Bowl, and this year lost control of the AFC East to Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye and the resurgent New England Patriots.
The Bills’ built an identity of being a hard-nosed football team that played a physical brand of ball on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They were often exposed, however, for being a bad team situationally, especially with time management and in-game decision making.
The allure of McDermott’s ability to build a respectable franchise is obvious, but the Browns should be wary. The coach who couldn’t get over the hump with an MVP quarterback like Allen could struggle to handle Cleveland’s current situation with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
Really, we’ve gone from nearing the finish line, to wait-and-see mode in regard to the Browns’ search. Their next wave of interviews should continue without a hitch, and how much confidence they relay to those candidates could be the key to be keeping their top choice in the building.