The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott, which marked the end of his nine-season tenure. McDermott was wildly successful in the regular season, with a 98-50 record and five AFC East titles, but he failed to lead the Bills to the Super Bowl.
Buffalo promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. The Bills also hired Denver Broncos defensive passing game coordinator Jim Leonhard, who played safety for the Bills in the 2000s, as defensive coordinator.
Buffalo’s new coaching staff is reflected in two moves this week.
First, on Thursday, the Bills traded for Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore, who has a history with Brady. Moore was selected No. 24 overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2018 NFL Draft, and Brady was the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021.
Then, on Friday, the Bills made a decision likely motivated by transitioning from McDermott’s to Leonhard’s defensive scheme.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Buffalo is releasing cornerback Taron Johnson, who excelled in McDermott’s scheme due to his versatility as a nickelback and at slot corner. Earlier this week, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers called Johnson “one of the best players in the league” and “one of the most underrated players in the league” while visiting with The Pat McAfee Show.
The Bills drafted Johnson out of Weber State in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Bills fans will always remember him for his 101-yard pick-six in an AFC Divisional round win over the Baltimore Ravens in January 2021. Johnson appeared in 113 games for the Bills, including 87 starts, across eight seasons. The 29-year-old’s best overall season came in 2023, when he started all 17 regular-games and earned Second Team All-Pro honors.
That led to a three-year extension that made him the highest-paid nickel in the league in March 2024, as reported by Schefter at the time.
Since then, Johnson struggled to stay healthy. In 2024, he injured his forearm in Week 1, which sidelined him until Week 6. He suffered a neck injury in the AFC Wild Card round against Denver.
In 2025, Johnson dealt with a nagging groin injury, but he still appeared in 13 regular-season games. He also started both playoff games - a 27-24 AFC Wild Card win in Jacksonville, followed by the 33-30 overtime Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos that ended not just the Bills’ season but an era.
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