Report: Sean McDermott's job is safe
Thursday's extensive reporting from Tyler Dunne regarding Bills coach Sean McDermott created headlines for a bizarre attempt by McDermott to use the 9/11 terrorists as an example of good teamwork. The revelation apparently will not keep McDermott from working for his team.
Tim Graham of TheAthletic.com reports, citing four unnamed sources, that "McDermott’s job is safe."
"I'm told the 9/11 anecdote is 'old news' within One Bills Drive, to the point it has become a running interoffice joke," Graham wrote, calling it a "distant memory that's been learned from."
This clearly implies that the powers-that-be were aware of the comment, perhaps at or about the time it was made. It's amazing, frankly, that it stayed under wraps for four years. Fortunately for the Bills, it didn't come to light before the team finagled a commitment for $600 million in New York taxpayer money for a new stadium.
Regardless, Graham says the disclosure of the 9/11 anecdote "doesn't move the needle" regarding McDermott's job status.
That said, it's not as if McDermott was going to be fired with five games left in a regular season that has become more promising given the struggles of the other wild-card teams against which the Bills are competing. The incident nevertheless becomes something fans will point to, if the Bills fail to make it to the playoffs.
That's human nature. In various forms of relationships, we overlook things that would otherwise be a problem until we're looking for a reason to justify moving on. The 9/11 thing is fine, as long as the Bills are thriving. When the Bills aren't, the four-year-old controversy (that for fans of the team is only 24 hours old) becomes a bigger deal.
The quickest way for McDermott to turn the page on the issue is to win. Starting on Sunday at Kansas City. And continuing with the Cowboys, Chargers, Patriots, and Dolphins.
