Buffalo Bills coach notes players' 'clear support' after 9/11 reference resurfaces

The remarks, in which McDermott reportedly referenced the hijackers as an example of teamwork, were reported this week by the Go Long website that focuses on the NFL.

McDermott, who said on Thursday he had quickly realized he made a mis-step and apologized to his 2019 team at the time, said his meeting with his current players "went as good as one could expect, as I could expect.

"It was important for me to address the players that are new to us since 2019 and may not have been around that day, so that they understood that situation and how it unfolded," he said.

"And that based on who I am and what they've seen, my hope in how I try to do things and how I handled that situation. So it went well. Their support was clear. And much appreciated."

Bills general manager Brandon Beane, in comments posted on the team's website, offered support for McDermott on Friday.

"Obviously when you're in leadership positions, you've got a lot of people looking up to you, and none of us are perfect, OK," Beane said.

"I think Sean acknowledged that. I went into the team meeting yesterday... and I thought it was very authentic," Beane said. "I thought the guys all saw that, felt that, and know Sean for who he is.

"I'll stand by his character every day of the week."

McDermott, 49 and in his seventh season in Buffalo, didn't dispute what was reported, but said the article, titled "The McDermott Problem", was "hurtful."

"You know, it was clearly, to me, an attack on my character, and that's important to me, very important, as much if not more, very clearly more, than wins and losses," McDermott said of the piece that cited 25 former coaches, players and team personnel, many speaking anonymously.