After leading the Buffalo Bills to their best record in 10 years, head coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract.
Buffalo narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record and the team's defense thrived with a league-leading 54 sacks.
Marrone activated a clause in his contract, allowing him to leave the Bills and pursue other NFL jobs without sanction.
The 50-year-old posted a 15-17 mark in his two seasons with the club.
Buffalo's players reacted negatively to the news. Safety Aaron Williams said he lost all respect for his former head coach:
Bills center Eric Wood said he was surprised by the news.