Josh Allen’s Emotional Reaction to Bills Loss Was Partly Why Head Coach Was Fired, Team Owner Says

Josh Allen was distraught after the Buffalo Bills lost to the Denver Broncos in the NFL playoffs, and that played into the decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott, according to the team’s owner, Terry Pegula. 

On Wednesday, January 21, Pegula held a press conference explaining why he let go of McDermott, 51, who served as the Bills head coach since 2017.

“My decision to bring in a new coach was based on the results of our game in Denver,” Pegula remarked, referring to the Saturday, January 17 playoff game. “I want to take you in the locker room after that game. I looked around, the first thing I noticed was our quarterback with his head down, crying.”

“I looked at all the other players. I looked at their faces and our coaches. I walked over to Josh, he didn’t even acknowledge I was there,” Pegula recounted. “First thing I said to him, I said, ‘that was a catch,’ we all know what I’m talking about. He didn’t acknowledge me. He just sat there sobbing. He was listless.”

“He had given everything he had to try to win that game,” he continued. “And looking around, so did all the other players on the team.”

Pegula also shared that the quarterback’s emotional response at the press conference shaped his decision.

“I saw the pain in Josh’s face at his presser, and I felt his pain,” Pegula stated. “I know we can do better, and I know we will get better.”

During the press conference on Saturday, Allen let out tears as he told reporters, “I feel like I let my teammates down tonight,” and admitted he “missed opportunities throughout the game.”

“It’s been a long season,” Allen — who is expecting his first child with wife Hailee Steinfeld — said. “I hate how it ended, and that’s gonna stick with me for a long time.”