BUFFALO, N.Y. — Despite Sean McDermott heading into his seventh season as the Bills’ head coach, he and the team are still entering somewhat uncharted territory.
The departure of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier this offseason now leaves McDermott as both the team’s head coach and in its main defensive play-calling role entering the 2023 season.
Only one other NFL team has its head coach in a coordinator role — San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, who is both the head coach and offensive coordinator for the 49ers. McDermott will be the only active head coach to also serve as the defensive coordinator.
Given McDermott’s defensive background as a coordinator for eight years — first under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and then under Ron Rivera in Carolina, where he guided the Panthers to multiple top-10 defensive finishes — it’s a transition that isn’t worrying too many in the locker room.
“I don't necessarily see a different person — he's a head coach. Now he wears multiple hats, obviously,” said Al Holcomb, Bills senior defensive assistant. “But I see a coach who continues to grow and evolve with the game and is very collaborative and tries to keep everybody involved in a process daily.”
McDermott will get his first reps this week as mandatory minicamp is set to get underway Tuesday and run through through Thursday. The three-day event marks the end of the league’s allowed organized team practice activity until training camp begins in late July.