Sean McDermott is out in Buffalo. The question now is who takes over a team quarterbacked by one of the league's best players—and why an NFL coaching community is quietly furious about the entire situation.

McDermott's Firing Ignites 'Impossibly High' Expectations Debate

McDermott joins Baltimore's John Harbaugh as the second NFL head coach fired this offseason despite maintaining a career winning percentage above .600—a fact that has sent shockwaves through the coaching ranks.

The numbers tell the story. Harbaugh compiled a 180-113 record over 18 seasons in Baltimore, reaching the playoffs six times in his last eight years. McDermott posted a 98-50 record in nine years with the Bills, including seven consecutive playoff appearances and six straight years of at least one playoff win.

Yet both are gone.

"What are we even doing anymore?" one current NFL assistant coach told Fox Sports. "Do these owners think it's easy to do what Harbaugh and McDermott did over the years? And Matt LaFleur was close to being fired in Green Bay, too?"

Bills owner Terry Pegula made the call to fire McDermott immediately after Saturday's divisional round loss to Denver—a game decided by a controversial interception/catch ruling that went against Buffalo. The decision hinged on a single officiating call.

"So if the refs ruled it a catch on the field and it didn't get overturned, the Bills win and he keeps his job?" another assistant asked. "Really? That's what we're doing now? Throw out a decade of success because of a coin-flip play that landed wrong?"

An agent representing multiple NFL coaches was blunt: "Everyone thinks it should've been easy to get to the Super Bowl because he had Josh Allen. How about giving him credit for overachieving with the cast around Josh Allen? It's just crazy. If it's Super Bowl or bust from now on, no one's going to be able to hold onto a job."

Brian Daboll Emerges as Early Favorite

Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has quickly become the frontrunner for the Buffalo job, league sources confirm.

The 50-year-old was the Bills' offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, and he's deeply connected to both the organization and quarterback Josh Allen, whom he helped develop from an inconsistent rookie into an MVP-caliber player.

Daboll interviewed with Buffalo on Thursday. The team has also requested interviews with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and their own offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

But Daboll has significant advantages. He's a favorite of Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who worked with Daboll's former boss Joe Schoen in New York. When Schoen became the Giants' GM, he immediately hired Daboll as head coach—a move that paid off with a playoff berth and NFL Coach of the Year honors in Daboll's first season (though he finished 20-40-1 before being fired this year).

Perhaps more importantly: Daboll transformed Buffalo's offense from one of the worst in the NFL into a top-five unit in his final two seasons before departing for New York.

An NFL front office executive summed up why Daboll fits: "The QB knows him. The offense performed at a high level with him. He has head coaching experience and knows exactly what it is like to be a Bills fan. He is one of them."

Daboll grew up in Western New York and attended the University of Rochester. He's also interviewed for offensive coordinator positions in Philadelphia and Tennessee, with sources saying he's favored in Philly but more likely to join new Titans coach Robert Saleh's staff if he doesn't land the Bills job.

C.J. Stroud's Postseason Collapse Raises Questions—But Not Enough to Bail

The Houston Texans face a harder decision with young quarterback C.J. Stroud, who imploded in Saturday's playoff loss to New England.

The performance was ugly. Stroud turned the ball over four times in the first half. Across two playoff games this year, he completed just 52% of his passes for 462 yards, 2 touchdown passes, and 5 interceptions—posting a 51.8 passer rating.

His postseason numbers have deteriorated each year: Year 1 was strong, Year 2 was weaker, and Year 3 was a disaster.

Yet a longtime NFL scout still says lock him up.

Stroud is just 24 years old and owns a 28-18 starting record in the regular season. He's led the Texans to a playoff win in each of his first three years—the very definition of early success at the position.

"Bad playoff game aside, they should lock him up before next season is over to save money, compared to what his market value will be eventually," the scout told Fox Sports. "And keep the cap money alive for other positions on the team they need help with. Bottom line is you can only really pay five guys on a team, preferably on second and third contracts. It's hard to find quarterbacks that are successful in their first three years."

Houston must decide by May whether to exercise Stroud's fifth-year option (projected at $26.5 million for 2027). He's also eligible for an extension north of $50 million annually—the kind of money that makes early investment in proven playoff performers a calculated risk worth taking.