Bills Sean McDermott firing just opened a massive door for the Dolphins

Miami Dolphins fans have been clamoring for their next head coach to have some previous head coaching experience. However, with guys like John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski already off the board, along with Mike McCarthy not having interest, all signs have pointed to the Dolphins again hiring a first-time HC.

In fact, it could happen as early as Monday, with Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the frontrunner for Miami's job as it stands. However, to quote the great Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friends."

On Monday morning, just two days removed from their heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott. And while Hafley may still be the frontrunner at the end of the day, the Dolphins could look to explore bringing in McDermott for at least an interview.

The Miami Dolphins should pursue Sean McDermott as their head coach after firing from Buffalo

McDermott's firing in Buffalo in several ways makes the Bills' job the most enticing for coaching candidates. An opportunity to coach a team with Josh Allen at quarterback is very hard to pass up. At the same time, McDermott becomes the most sought-after head coach for several teams.

After going several years without a playoff appearance, the Bills were a shoo-in for the postseason under McDermott. Unfortunately for him, he could never get the team over the hump and into the Super Bowl despite eight playoff appearances. This season was arguably his best opportunity, with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow not in the postseason. Yet, the Bills fell short again, this time in the Divisional Round, after a climactic loss to Denver.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have already interviewed one of Buffalo's coaches for their HC vacancy, completing an interview with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Brady is one of the 10+ candidates Miami has looked at, but the growing popularity has been that it is Hafley's job to lose. Reportedly, Hafley impressed everyone in interviews greatly, and mixed with his ties to new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan from their time together in Green Bay, hiring the Packers DC makes a ton of sense.

However, McDermott's firing makes him the top candidate on the market, and the Dolphins shouldn't ignore that. Yet, the situation does complicate matters for Miami to some degree.

With Patrick Graham and Kelvin Sheppard in the building on Monday, the Dolphins will be compliant with the Rooney Rule and, thus, can hire whomever they choose after that. The broad perception is that they will make Hafley an offer shortly after and not allow him to further visit Tennessee, where there is "strong mutual interest" between him and the Titans.

If Dolphins owner Stephen Ross does agree to delay the process in hopes of interviewing McDermott, he runs the risk of not hiring either. Personally, it's a risk that Ross and the Dolphins' front office needs to take.

There is a strong possibility that McDermott won't be interested in the Dolphins' job at all. It's not at the top of some of the other candidates available, and McDermott surely won't be short of other options. But McDermott has the experience and winning résumé
that it's worth exploring.

McDermott may not have gotten Buffalo to the promised land with an NFL MVP, but he helped to turn around an organization that was mediocre at best for over a decade. He won five division titles and was in the AFC Championship Game on two occasions. At the end of the day, if it wasn't for Mahomes, McDermott in all likelihood would have at least one Super Bowl ring, and this discussion wouldn't even be happening.

So while there is the risk of losing Hafley and not getting McDermott at all, it's one worth trying. There are other candidates still available, like Robert Saleh, Klint Kubiak, Chris Shula, etc., who are either on par with Hafley's résumé or stronger, who Miami could still bring in if things don't work out. Ross needs to take his shot.