Bills players, GM Brandon Beane support coach Sean McDermott - ESPN

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills players and general manager Brandon Beane offered their support for coach Sean McDermott on Friday, one day after the coach held a team meeting to address remarks referencing 9/11 that he made in training camp in 2019 and became public this week.

«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,» said Beane, who is in his seventh season in Buffalo with McDermott after also working together for the Carolina Panthers.

«I think Sean acknowledged that. I went into the team meeting yesterday, I think he talked to [the media] first, went into the team meeting and I thought it was very authentic. I thought the guys all saw that, felt that, and know Sean for who he is. I think you guys that have been around here some years know who Sean's character is. I'll stand by his character every day of the week.»

McDermott, who held the meeting with the team late Thursday, described the past day by saying, «Definitely gets your mind spinning, right. Just being real. And it's been disappointing. It's been hurtful.»

«At the end of the day, I know who I am. At the end of the day, I know how I handle myself. As I've said, humbly, I'm not without flaws. I wake up every morning and try and do the best job that I can to win games for the fans of the Buffalo Bills and do it the right way. And that's my main goal every day.»

As first reported by Go Long, McDermott told players in a 2019 speech to come together and used the terrorists on 9/11 as an example, asking players in the room questions about how the attacks were executed and referencing the hijackers getting on the same page. Multiple players who were with the team at the time