The Buffalo Bills are in a state of turmoil, starting from the top. After a devastating and embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins last week, the Bills’ Super Bowl hopes have all but evaporated. Now, it seems unlikely that they can even secure a victory within their own division. Despite winning five consecutive AFC East titles and coming close to the Super Bowl under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills, who started the season 4-0, have now fallen to a disappointing 2-3.
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium, McDermott took time to express confidence in offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He also didn’t dismiss the possibility of bringing back former assistant Brian Daboll, showing that the team is considering every option to get back on track.
However, another question looms large over the future of the team: Should McDermott’s job be in jeopardy?
McDermott’s Job on the Line?
This week, television host Colin Cowherd voiced his criticism of McDermott, and now CBS has added fuel to the fire by listing McDermott as one of the top 5 NFL coaches most likely to be fired in the second half of the season. McDermott ranks 4th on the list, just above Matt LaFleur (Packers), but below Raheem Morris (Falcons), Kevin Stefanski (Browns), and Pete Carroll (Raiders). The omission of Mike McDaniel from the list is curious, though, given the struggles McDermott’s team has faced.
“Another playoff failure could be the tipping point, potentially costing McDermott his job despite his successful regular-season record.” — CBS Sports
McDermott’s tenure has been impressive in terms of regular-season performance, with a solid 92-48 record and seven playoff appearances in eight years. However, his postseason record is far less stellar at 7-7, and the Bills continue to fall short on the biggest stages. His defense, often inconsistent, has been a major factor in these playoff disappointments, even with star quarterback Josh Allen leading the charge.
A Make-or-Break Season for McDermott
With the Bills facing another challenging season, McDermott is under increasing pressure to deliver. While the team has historically performed well during the regular season, the inability to translate that success into playoff victories has put his job on the line. As the Bills move forward, another early playoff exit may very well be the last straw.
For now, McDermott’s fate is uncertain, but the next few weeks will be critical in determining whether he remains the coach of the Buffalo Bills or if the team decides it’s time for a change. The Bills’ fanbase, along with national pundits, will be watching closely as the pressure mounts on McDermott to turn things around.
Nathaniel Lowe is expected to be cut loose by the Red Sox this week. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)AP
The Red Sox have some roster cleanup due this week, with Tuesday marking the date by which teams need to add eligible prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from the Rule 5 draft and Friday representing the annual non-tender deadline for arbitration-eligible players. Don’t expect Boston to clear a roster spot by cutting bait with a homegrown former All-Star starter, though.
At this point, Boston is unlikely to non-tender injured righty Tanner Houck, multiple sources said Monday. With a 40-man roster crunch coming, there was some thought that cutting bait with Houck was possible due to his current situation. Houck, who took home $3.95 million in 2025, is projected (by MLBTradeRumors’ widely used model) to take home the same salary in 2026, but is expected to miss most if not all of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. Considering the 2027 season is in jeopardy due to labor tensions and Houck is set to hit free agency after that year, the possibility existed that the Red Sox could non-tender (release) Houck into free agency to save a bit of money knowing he won’t be ready to pitch for most of 2026. But sources indicate the Red Sox plan to tender him a contract.
It’s unclear if the sides have talked about a creative long-term deal. Tendering Houck a contract would keep him under club control ahead of negotiations to avoid arbitration and set a 2026 salary later in the winter.
By Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, teams must add eligible prospects to their 40-man rosters to protect them from being poached in next month’s Rule 5 draft. The Red Sox, who have a full 40-man roster, don’t have a long list of candidates but are expected to make at least a move or two. Right-handed prospect David Sandlin is a virtual lock to be added, requiring at least one 40-man roster spot to be cleared. Lefties Shane Drohan and Hayden Mullins, righties Yordanny Monegro (injured) and Jedixson Paez and outfielder Miguel Bleis are among the other potential Rule 5 candidates in the organization. If the Red Sox want to make sure any of those players aren’t taken in the Rule 5 draft, they can add them. Doing so would require spots to be cleared.
Any roster spots that need to be cleared for prospect additions need to be opened simultaneously Tuesday, which is a day when small trades are usually made throughout baseball. Therefore, the Red Sox could get a jump on the Friday non-tender deadline (set for 8 p.m. ET) by moving on from players four days early. The non-tender date represents an opportunity for teams to cut bait with arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration-eligible players and send them into free agency. The Red Sox, unlike in previous years, could be busy on non-tender day.
The most obvious non-tender candidate on the roster is first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, who is projected to earn $13.5 million in 2026. That mark represents much more than what he’d get on the open market after a down season that included him being cut by the Nationals. Lowe will almost certainly be lopped off the roster but could re-sign at a lower rate as he tests the open market. Boston is anticipating the healthy return of Triston Casas next season and is looking to upgrade the first base position via free agency or trade.
The Red Sox have seven other arbitration-eligible players and are certain to retain Kutter Crawford, Romy Gonzalez, Triston Casas and Brennan Bernardino at their low projected numbers. Connor Wong, who is projected to make $1.6 million in 2026, is expected to be tendered after Craig Breslow gave him a vote of confidence last week. Cooper Criswell already agreed to a one-year, $800,000 deal for 2026, removing him from non-tender consideration.
In addition to Lowe, the Red Sox could cut bait with some younger players on the roster. Righty Josh Winckowski (projected to make $800,000) is a candidate to be cut from the roster, as is lefty Jovani Morán. Tough roster decisions might be made with the utility group of Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton, Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard later in the winter but for now, those players are projected to be safe.