Sean McDermott showed up at the joint practices between the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans in Nashville as a guest of Ben Johnson, and that was enough to set off a fresh round of speculation about whether Chicago might have more in mind for him than a visit. Bears fans were already pleading with Chicago to bring him on board, and the sighting gave that idea new life.
The attention is easy to understand. McDermott spent nine years with the Bills and built a record that is hard to dismiss: the defense never finished below 18th in total points allowed during that span, finished below 17th in yards allowed only once, and landed among the top 10 in yards allowed in six of his nine seasons. The Bills also won the division for five straight years from 2020 to 2024, which is why many people still view him as one of the league’s most respected defensive minds, along with Dennis Allen.
That reputation matters because the usual story around a coach after a firing is simple: the move must have been justified. Buffalo was not that simple. McDermott was fired there, but there is more evidence to suggest he was scapegoated than to suggest the firing was warranted. His career record of 106–58 only sharpens the point. Results like that do not erase a dismissal, but they do make it harder to treat the dismissal as a clean verdict on his work.
There is also a reason the Bears talk has to stay in the realm of talk for now. McDermott and Johnson had not worked together before and did not have a known friendship, so the trip does not automatically point to a ready-made hiring path. A guest appearance can mean a lot of things in the NFL, and it does not by itself mean Chicago is preparing to hire him for any defensive role.
What it does mean is that McDermott is suddenly part of the conversation around Chicago for reasons that go beyond nostalgia or fan wishcasting. If the Bears really want to turn a practice visit into something larger, they would have to make the next move themselves. Until then, the only firm fact is that McDermott was there, and that was enough to remind people why his name still carries weight.
