Josh Allen to Help Bills Hire Next Head Coach, Says $9.3 Billion Worth Terry Pegula

After firing Sean McDermott, Josh Allen and his teammates are waiting to see who owner Terry Pegula and GM Brandon Beane hire to lead them into a new era.

The former head coach had incorporated consistent success, even though some of his questionable decisions in-game played a part in the Bills losing some important battles. That eventually became the reason the energy magnate, worth $9.3 billion per Forbes, fired McDermott after nine seasons with the franchise.

This offseason is quite different from last year, when several top-tier coordinators were available. With the dearth of renowned names, it seems the Bills have a tough task on their hands to find McDermott’s replacement.

The starting quarterback will be part of the team to help select the new coach. He’s going to be working with us.

Terry Pegula said to reporters

This topic was being discussed on NFL Live, and longtime analyst Peter Schrager went on to say that it is unusual for NFL teams to bring in their top players into a coach-hiring process.

"Josh Allen is going to play a major role in not only consulting, but selecting the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills."@PSchrags provides insight into how the Bills are moving forward after parting ways with Sean McDermott. pic.twitter.com/bWmidl2MO7

— ESPN (@espn) January 22, 2026

He acknowledged that this is common in the current era of the NBA, but it could be the result of the situation the Buffalo Bills are in.

Schrager pointed out that this decision by their 74-year-old owner could be the result of how few options his team has. With many top candidates already signed on to other jobs, the ESPN analyst felt Pegula is pushing the onus onto Josh Allen to get the right person.

Stephen A. Smith believes Josh Allen and Bills are not a favorable destination

As Josh Allen adds an HR role to his job as the leader of the Buffalo Bills, Stephen A. Smith and his crew on First Take got talking about whether the head coaching job is at all attractive.

The job is attractive, but it’s less attractive when you see an owner who appears a bit clueless, and on top of it all, a GM that appears to be covering his you know what.

Stephen A. Smith said

The longtime analyst believes the way Terry Pegula threw Sean McDermott under the bus, and defended and promoted GM Brandon Beane, it could be something that deters top available candidates from wanting to join them.

"The job is attractive, but it's less attractive when you see an owner who appears a bit clueless … and a GM that appears to be covering his you know what."

—@stephenasmith on the Bills' head coach opening 😯 pic.twitter.com/U5AYWBvoOv

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 22, 2026

The 58-year-old reminded his colleagues that by halfway through the season, it was evident that the Bills did not have a Super Bowl-contending roster at their disposal, and McDermott informed Terry Pegula about it.

However, the GM did not do anything to help Josh Allen and his offensive unit, and eventually it cost them in the Divisional Round game. This lack of accountability makes the Bills’ head coaching job unfavorable, as candidates are aware they could be made the scapegoat, as the former head coach has become.

Ryan Clark believes Josh Allen is the cause of this mess

While discussing the mess that the Buffalo Bills are in, Ryan Clark started off by acknowledging that most of the blame should be on Brandon Beane’s shoulders, as he did not do his job. Then, the former safety added this to his analogy:

The bottom line is, they are home right now because they got their all-world quarterback to the dance, and he forgot the steps.

Ryan Clark said

The Super Bowl champion believes that had Josh Allen not committed those turnovers in the Divisional round, they would have continued to the AFC Championship game, and Sean McDermott would have still had his job.

“The bottom line is, they are home right now because they got their all-world quarterback to the dance, and he forgot the steps.”@Realrclark25 weighs in on the Buffalo Bills after parting ways with Sean McDermott ✍️ pic.twitter.com/AO9P5OSUSs

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 22, 2026

Clark believes that owner Terry Pegula fired the head coach as he felt the loss was McDermott’s fault. Watching Allen shed tears probably flipped the script.

There is a reason why many Bills players expressed their frustration at Pegula’s decision to fire their head coach, as they, too, felt he was not the problem. It seems Ryan Clark considered that when pinning the blame on Josh Allen and Brandon Beane for this mess.

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