The Buffalo Bills are making sure Sean McDermott stays with the organization for a long time. Buffalo announced a multi-year contract extension for McDermott Wednesday, but financial terms were not disclosed. McDermott will remain in Buffalo through the 2025 season as he had four more years added to his current contract, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. McDermott's initial deal lasted through the 2021 season.
"Sean's leadership on and off the field has been nothing but genuine and transparent, qualities we appreciate as owners," said Bills president Kim Pegula in a statement released by the team. "He is the same great person to us, the players and everyone across all our organizations. We will never forget how impressed we were during his first interview. Sean's attention to detail was apparent back then and his process driven approach has brought great stability to our organization. We are happy to extend his contract and keep him in Western New York for many years to come."
McDermott has brought success to a Bills franchise that had fallen on hard times earlier this century. The Bills coach snapped an 18-year postseason drought -- which was the longest in the NFL -- in his first season as the head coach in 2017 and he has compiled a 25-23 record in his three seasons at the helm with two playoff appearances.
The Bills have yet to record a top-20 offense under McDermott, who was brought to Buffalo after creating a strong defense in his five seasons with the Carolina Panthers (2012 to 2016) and an already-solid Bills defense has been even better with McDermott as a head coach. The Bills have ranked second in yards allowed in 2018 and third in 2019. Buffalo also had the No. 2 scoring defense last season.
Most importantly, McDermott has changed the losing culture in Buffalo. The Bills had just two winning seasons since their last playoff trip in 1999 prior to McDermott's arrival. McDermott has two winning campaigns in three years as the Bills finished 10-6 last season -- their first 10-win season since 1999.
"You come in here and 'Playoff Caliber' is the standard," said Bills fullback Patrick DiMarco. "Not only on the field, but in the weight room, the meeting room. Playoff caliber is what we're doing every single day. Guys are working their tails off.
"The second biggest thing that he preaches is your love for the guy next to you. You're going to sell out, not for yourself or your contract, but for the guy next to you and his family and his well-being. There's just a lot to it. When you care and you love the guy you're playing for you're only going to play that much better."