Buffalo Bills reportedly concerned by potential toxic culture within PSE

According to a report which originated from The Athletic, head coach Sean McDermott is apparently worried a toxic culture within Pegula Sports and Entertainment could impact the Buffalo Bills.

Given the sense of impending doom sports fans in Western New York often have, they would never take anything for granted with the Buffalo Bills. And yet their beloved NFL team is actually in an excellent position as of right now.

The Bills have made the playoffs in two of the three seasons Sean McDermott has been head coach and appear to have their franchise quarterback in Josh Allen, as well as one of the best defenses in the entire league. To top it all off, arch nemesis Tom Brady has now left the New England Patriots, leaving the door open for them to finally win their first AFC East division title since 1995.

However, as per the aforementioned sense of impending doom, there could be some trouble on the horizon. As reported by Bill Wire, which is part of USA Today, McDermott is worried about a toxic culture within Pegula Sports and Entertainment (PSE).

This concern stems from the recent layoffs and furloughs announced by PSE, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 21 employees were laid off and another 104 employees were furloughed.

As reported by the Associated Press via ESPN, more than 36 other employees, including management, hockey staff and broadcasters, are also having their salaries temporarily reduced. As things stand, the cuts haven’t affected the Bills’ staff, and yet McDermott remains worried.

As per Nick Wojton of Bills Wire, the Bills head coach became concerned following the January meetings. More specifically, that low morale may erode the refined culture he and general manager Brandon Beane have created during their time together in Buffalo.

In respect of the low morale and the concerns in general about how PSE is being run, the original report came from Tim Graham of The Athletic. As per Graham’s Twitter account, he interviewed 39 current and former full-time employees by telephone, text and verified direct message.

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on businesses in general. However, PSE apparently would have made a lot of changes regardless, in order to save money.

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Regardless of the reasoning, there is still a lot of understandable angst among workers within the various PSE businesses. As such, you can appreciate why McDermott is concerned, even though the Bills are as yet unaffected.

Of course, the key word in that previous sentence is ‘yet’. As things stand, the Bills and the NFL in general are fine, for now.

However, if the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs or being controlled any time soon, the potential for this to impact the NFL is a real possibility. It’s one thing to do a virtual draft, but the real damage will come if and when any games have to be suspended or even cancelled.

If this happens, that will be when PSE potentially have to start looking at the Bills’ staff and consider more ways to save money to make up for any loses. The scheduled start of the NFL regular season is still over four months away, but don’t expect this to stop McDermott worrying.

What is your opinion of the reports relating to a toxic culture within Pegula Sports and Entertainment? Do you believe McDermott and the Buffalo Bills have anything to be concerned about? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.