Bills’ Sean McDermott Addresses Report He Used Offensive 9/11 Reference in Team Meeting

Bills coach Sean McDermott addressed a concerning report Thursday that he once used the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists as an example of good teamwork in a 2019 meeting.

"My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication and being on the same page with the team,” McDermott said. “I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day, and I immediately apologized to the team."

McDermott said he planned to address the situation with his current team Thursday afternoon after team meetings.

In that 2019 meeting, McDermott cited the 9/11 terrorists as a “group of people who were all able to get on the same page to orchestrate attacks to perfection,” Go Long TD’s Tyler Dunne reported as part of a three-part series on the coach’s tenure in Buffalo.

McDermott opened his press conference Thursday with a statement addressing the report.

“Not only was 9/11 a horrific event in our country's history, but a day that I lost a good family friend,” he said.

The Bills coach declined to elaborate more on Dunne’s story.