This Is How Much Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott Is Actually Worth

The Buffalo Bills' wild card win over the Indianapolis Colts on January 9, 2021, had all the earmarks of a classic Bills heartbreak-in-the-making — a cushy first place position in the AFC and, according to USA Today, favored odds going into the game, only to come precariously close to undoing a near-double-digit lead before eking out a 27-24 win. There was even a Hail Mary courtesy of the Colt's Philip Rivers, albeit successfully defended by the Bills this time around. For much of the time, it was the kind of game fans in that "cursed" sports city had come to expect, says Fox Sports, and with good reason.

Prior to the Colts game, the last time this Rust Belt town on the shores of Lake Erie notched a playoff win was its 1995 wild card game against the Miami Dolphins, reports the Buffalo Bills' website. The Bills landed five more playoff appearances after that, says ESPN, and while none earned a check in the wins column, the team's appearances in the 2017 and 2019 playoffs seemed to offer Bills fans a glimpse of hope. And much of that hope can be attributed to one man.

The year 2017 was significant for the Bills. Since 2000, they'd cycled through eight head coaches, including Rex Ryan, whose firing seemed to indicate an exciting change in direction. Ownership brought on Sean McDermott. He was a first-time head coach, but had Super Bowl experience from his time as a defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers. Shortly after McDermott's hiring, Billswire described him as having an "inordinate penchant for detail," noting that he encouraged his players to open up to one another. Whatever McDermott's methods, they seemed to work; the team went 9-7-0 and finished second in the AFC East that season.

The Bills have continued to evolve under McDermott's leadership, with ESPN's Field Yates tweeting that in "3 years, [McDermott's] led them to the playoffs twice with 2 winning seasons, built an incredible culture & helped lead a defense that has been 1 of the NFL's stingiest." Clearly, McDermott's proved his worth.

While NFL players' salaries are public record, coaches' salaries (including McDermott's) are not. But here's what we do know: According to Forbes, the Bills saw enough of McDermott's potential to pay Ryan $16.5 million dollars to walk away from his contract and give the slot to McDermott. It was the right move. Last year, according to the Buffalo News, the Bills signed McDermott to a multi-year contract extension, locking him in until 2025 — a vote of confidence that's priceless to long-suffering Bills fans. An educated guess by Full Celebs puts McDermott's net worth at $5 million.