Brandin Cooks

The Broncos would win the game to advance to Sunday's AFC Championship against the Patriots.

If the decision to retain Beane for next season came as a surprise, then the decision to promote him to President of Football Operations will evoke similar feelings. Beane joined the Bills in 2017, and while the team has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with him calling the shots with roster management, his inability to surround Josh Allen with premium talent is a notable red flag. Beane's first order of work is finding a new head coach to replace the recently fired Sean McDermott, but the Bills can't continue with the receiving corps they rolled out in Saturday's divisional round loss to the Broncos. While the likes of Brandin Cooks and Gabe Davis are almost certain to be let go this offseason, 2024 first-rounder Keon Coleman continues to look like a bust, and Khalil Shakir, while solid, can't carry the passing game as a low ADOT slot receiver. Beane's promotion will come with added pressure to get premium talent around Allen, who will be 30 at the start of next season. It goes without saying that the 2026 offseason will be one of the most important offseasons for the Bills in recent memory.

This news comes via NFL Network's The Insiders. Another playoff loss to an AFC West team, this time the Broncos, was the final straw for McDermott. The longtime Bills coach was reported as "safe for now" earlier this month by ESPN's Adam Schefter, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that his job security at least partially depended on a successful postseason run, with the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson all watching from home. McDermott's Bills again came up short in Saturday's divisional round loss to the Broncos, although, a controversial interception on an apparent catch by Brandin Cooks can be partly blamed for the latest shortcoming. McDermott coached the Bills to a 98-50 record after being hired by the team in 2017 and had only one losing season in his nine years at the helm. McDermott led the Bills to five-straight division titles from 2020 to 2024, but finished second to an emerging Patriots team this season. The Bills now become the most coveted job opening in the NFL, as they will likely line up several potential head coaching candidates in the coming days. Current offensive coordinator Joe Brady will likely receive an interview as a potential in-house candidate, but we would expect the Bills to cast a wide net in hopes of bringing in a coach who can capitalize on the remainder of Josh Allen's prime in hopes of delivering the Bills their first ever Super Bowl. McDermott, should he wish to continue as a head coach in 2026, should also generate plenty of interest with seven other head coaching vacancies still open across the league.

In Saturday's AFC division-round game in Denver, the overtime period took a sudden turn when a throw by Bills quarterback Josh Allen to receiver Brandin Cooks turned into an interception by Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian.

In Saturday's AFC division-round game in Denver, the overtime period took a sudden turn when a throw by Bills quarterback Josh Allen to receiver Brandin Cooks turned into an interception by Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian.