Albert Breer’s NFL Mailbag: Favorites to Land the Dolphins’ OC Job

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Miami Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike McDaniel
Offensive coordinators
Josh Allen
Mac Jones
Tennessee Titans
Houston Texans
Arizona Cardinals
Fernando Mendoza
Pittsburgh Steelers
Regular season schedule
Buffalo Bills
QB draft class

The NFL coaching carousel is spinning. And that’s where all of you were focused with your questions, even with the big games this weekend, for this week’s mailbag. Let’s dive in.

Miami Dolphins

From Darren Boyd (@DarrenBoyd13): Who is the favorite to land the Dolphins’ OC gig?

Darren, I don’t think there is one. My sense is the Dolphins are going to get their process going on staffing over the next couple of days, and they’ll be open-minded in finding an offensive coordinator to work alongside new coach Jeff Hafley.

As far as candidates, I’d start with Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, who’s been with Matt LaFleur since he arrived in Green Bay, and the coordinator for four years—I think LaFleur might let the 42-year-old pursue a job elsewhere to call plays. Depending on how some other dominoes fall, ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll and Ravens OC Todd Monken could be in the mix if they’re available. One internal candidate to consider is Bobby Slowik, whom Kyle Shanahan would likely recommend to Hafley, his old secondary coach.

Hiring a defensive coordinator will be important, too, though maybe a little less so since that’s Hafley’s area of expertise. There are options in Green Bay, including linebackers coach Sean Duggan, who may be at the top of the list, given that Duggan went with Hafley from Ohio State to Boston College to Green Bay. Ex-Patriots DC DeMarcus Covington is another Packers assistant who could get consideration.

Atlanta Falcons

From David Rolax (@RolaxnotRolex): Who do you think will end up being the Falcons’ offensive coordinator?

David, my guess is either Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees or ex-Titans coach Brian Callahan. Right now, I think Rees would be the pick. He was Kevin Stefanski’s coordinator for the past two years in Cleveland.

Rees has drawn college interest (this year from Penn State) and was really well regarded on the Cleveland staff the past two years, to the point where Stefanski elevated him to coordinator in part because of the prospect that Mike Vrabel would take him to his next stop. So his hire would make sense.

From Georgia Sports Forever (@ALFrazier66): The Falcons’ next OC? Will Atlanta bring Cousins back?

Georgia, I answered the OC question (scroll up!).

On Kirk Cousins, I think that’ll come down to price. There is a soft deadline ahead. A $10 million roster bonus is due in March. It is fully guaranteed. But to benefit from the offsets, the Falcons would have to cut him before then. (The offsets would come into play either at the league minimum or in the event someone is willing to pay him more than $10 million.) And by then, Atlanta would almost certainly want to have this settled.

That said, there is some merit to bringing him back. He played well down the stretch. He also had new Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski as his position coach and then coordinator in Minnesota for two years, so he can help institute the new system with the Falcons. He, of course, would have to go along with all this, and agree to knock his total number for 2026 ($45 million) way down. He may do it if he can’t find a starting job elsewhere, since his family is now rooted in the area. We’ll see.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

From Miles (@MilesE1213): Why in the world did the Bucs ownership retain Todd Bowles?

Miles, I’d say it’s based on Bowles’s ability to maintain a level of success through the transition from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield at quarterback and to develop the young players on a roster that had grown older as the team went all-in to pursue championships with Brady. That isn’t to say he’s perfect, of course. But he did win the NFC South in each of his first three years, and hired offensive coordinators, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, who became really good head coaches elsewhere right away.

So this year, they didn’t win the division, and they didn’t get the coordinator hire right. It’s not crazy to give Bowles a mulligan on that one. But it wasn’t done without creating some sense of urgency to win, as evidenced by all the changes already made on Bowles’s staff.

Mike McDaniel

From ItWasntMe (@ARomA_78): Is McDaniel still interviewing with the Chargers or did he leave already?

It wasn’t me, he left, and he’s coming back as the team’s offensive coordinator.

I’m very intrigued with this hire, and not just because of the fun Odd Couple dynamic that Jim Harbaugh and Mike McDaniel will have, but also the marriage of systems. Harbaugh’s intention, I was told, was to marry his power running game with a Shanahan scheme, to try to help quarterback Justin Herbert take the next steps.

McDaniel’s a great fit to do it, because he is a member of the Shanahan tree at the most grassroots of levels—going back to Houston nearly two decades ago—and has been part of evolving it over the years to stay ahead of all the copycats (which Shanahan is very, very intentional about). That’s meant, more recently, more gap-scheme downhill running, which should give McDaniel a blueprint to marry his beliefs with Harbaugh’s. The fact that both offenses have West Coast roots should be a positive, too, in terms of language.

I honestly can’t wait to see how this one plays out, for everyone involved. Maybe they can even get Tyreek Hill in on all this.

Offensive coordinators

From Bols (@Rbols45): Why do some OCs call from the field and others the box? Strictly a preference? Always been curious.

Bols, I think the simplest way to explain this is that one benefits your vision, the other benefits your communication, and you’re giving up something on one end or the other.

If you’re calling the game from the field, you have the benefit of communicating face-to-face with the players, feeling their emotions and making adjustments with them on the fly. But you don’t have the bird’s-eye view of how certain matchups are playing out, or exactly how a defense is playing you—and you have to rely on the tablet and your other assistants upstairs to fill in the gaps.

If you’re calling it from the booth, it’s the inverse. Tactically, it’s ideal, allowing you not just to see coverages and rush packages, but also how the defense is disguising them, and moving pieces before the snap. You also get a better look at which of your players are crushing their assignments and which might be struggling with matchups. But it’s tougher to communicate with them. You have to do that part either through your assistants or over the sideline phones. And that certainly isn’t the same as being face-to-face.

In the end, a lot of it comes down to preference.

Josh Allen

From Steven Blathras (@StevenBlathras): Did you shed a tear when Josh Allen threw that game-losing interception?

Steven, the last time I had any rooting interest in an NFL game was more than two decades ago. I like seeing good people do well, and I do have sympathy for players and coaches when they lose. Regardless of who wins or loses the game, I go on with my day just fine.

Mac Jones

From Everybody Knows (@StephenMaxner): What team is Mac Jones on next season?

Everybody, Minnesota would be a fun idea. The Vikings will bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy, but may have to do it on a budget. They’ve explored the reclamation project path that worked so well for them with Sam Darnold in 2024. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray could be ideas, just not on their current contracts. Jones—who, like Darnold, would be coming from San Francisco—would make a good amount of sense.

Tennessee Titans

From Aaron Martin (@540_Cards): Which do you think will be the OC for the Titans? Who are your top three candidates?

Brian Daboll is the name most closely associated with the opening (I think he also would’ve been if Hafley had been hired). And there is a relationship there from years ago with GM Mike Borgonzi in Kansas City. Also, Daboll and Robert Saleh crossed paths plenty over the three years the two were head coaches for the two New York teams.

McDaniel was certainly high on Saleh’s list before McDaniel went to the Chargers. I’d say Rams OC Mike LaFleur (Saleh’s OC for two years in New York) would be, too, but my guess is that LaFleur will stay in Los Angeles. After that, you’ll get to ex-Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury and Steelers OC Arthur Smith. They’ll have plenty of options, and Saleh has a plan for what would happen if his pick leaves in a year or two, too.

Houston Texans

From Mr.Optimistic (@MrOptimisticHou): Any noise in Houston?

No, Optismic. No real noise. They had a bad afternoon on offense against the Patriots on Sunday. But going forward, there’s a lot to build on. The offensive line needs work. The decision regarding C.J. Stroud’s fifth-year option and a potential extension will be interesting, too. But there’s too much positive momentum on that roster for there to be any wild changes.

Arizona Cardinals

From K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021): Who is your guess now for the Arizona Cardinals HC with some of the spots already filled?

I think Broncos DC Vance Joseph or Bills OC Joe Brady are two to watch.

Joseph is beloved everywhere he goes. I think if the Bengals had to hire a coach this year, he’d be at the top of the list. He was probably runner-up to McDaniel in Miami in 2022, and the same goes for Arizona. He was an invaluable piece of Kingsbury’s Cardinals staff from 2019 to ’22. Kingsbury, in fact, would tell anyone who’d listen how good a head coach Joseph would be if he got a second chance.

As for Brady, some of this dates back to the one that got away for Cardinals ownership: Sean McVay. After the 2016 season, there were whispers that Bruce Arians could retire, and then-GM Steve Keim had McVay at the top of his list of replacements. Arians stayed another year, McVay went to L.A., and you know the rest. Since, Michael Bidwill has had his eye out for candidates similar to McVay. Brady could fit that bill.

Fernando Mendoza

From The Mad Raider (@RaiderLoot): What are the thoughts from NFL people on Mendoza as a prospect?

Raider, I’ve got to do way more work on that. What I can say now, though, is that he’s seen as a Jared Goff–level No. 1 pick—certainly a worthy first-rounder, but not seen as at the same level as guys like Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence or Caleb Williams.

Pittsburgh Steelers

From Burghie (@houseofburgh412): The Steelers seemed to have put their interview requests in quickly and not a huge number of them (compared to other teams). Was this a concerted effort and did they already have finalists in mind early on?

Burghie, GM Omar Khan, like a lot of GMs, had a list ready, in the case Mike Tomlin walked away. So, yes, there was to a large degree an outline for the search already written. That said, remember the Mike Tomlin hire in 2007—which Khan was around for—came out of nowhere, and it was because the Steelers were committed to a full process.

Based on how that worked out, I think it’s fair to say they’ll give this search its time.

Regular season schedule

From Jeff creger (@JeffCreger5400): When is the league going to expand to 18 games? Also heard one international game for every team. Also games also different networks at different times?

Jeff, this is a big-picture question, but the answer is yes. You have to look at games like pieces of real estate that the NFL is looking to sell. Expanding the playoffs in 2020 meant going from 11 pieces of postseason real estate to 13. Going to 17 games in ’21 meant increasing inventory from 256 pieces of regular-season real estate to 272. Going to 18 will mean pushing that number to 288. Similarly, going overseas means generating inventory and creating new ways to make money that weren’t there before.

All of it has been part of Roger Goodell’s plan for the future, with the feeling being to make the game more and more profitable by adding more inventory. Again, I have a lot of thoughts on this, but that’s the idea.

Buffalo Bills

From Craig M (@Dolfan2334): How great is the Bills HC job? Granted, they have Josh Allen but their roster isn’t great, the cap situation isn’t great and there is pressure to win now. Do you think it’s the best opening out there as so many others have suggested?

Craig, it’s still a really good job. Having Allen is no small deal. There’s a core under contract, and what you think of that core—Dion Dawkins, James Cook II, Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir, Ed Oliver, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Christian Benford—would determine whether you think the job is just really good or great.

But there’s plenty to build on there, even if there are some obvious flaws—including the receiver room and pass rush—to address this offseason.

QB draft class

From The List - Dolphins Podcast (@TheListFinsPod): Anything you are hearing on draft QBs after Mendoza No. 1? How many—if any—others have a shot at Round 1? How many on Day 2?

Fins, based on what I know right now, I’d say there’s a sizable gap after Mendoza. Oregon’s Dante Moore would’ve had a chance to make a run at Mendoza’s place atop the presumed order. I’m not sure I see anyone else who will. My guess would be Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss (who’s still trying to return to school) get selected on the draft’s second day. But I still have a ton of work to do on the draft, and we all still have three months to go.