ESPN NFL insider teases huge coaching hire for Buccaneers

With Josh Grizzard no longer the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is Jeff Darlington teasing as his possible replacement in Tampa Bay?

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have begun their overhaul of the coaching staff after deciding to retain Todd Bowles as head coach after a second-half collapse that led the Bucs to a losing record and missing the playoffs.

One of those who was relieved of his duties was offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, and thus, the Bucs will begin the search for their fourth OC in as many seasons.

Plenty of names have surfaced, such as Kliff Kingsbury, Todd Monken and Nate Scheelhaase, but an intriguing name to watch is former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who was just fired. In fact, it seems as if the Bucs are a contender to land the offensive mastermind, according to ESPN NFL insider Jeff Darlington.

👀 https://t.co/BlpwQPl7Pz

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 9, 2026

McDaniel to Tampa Bay?

Dec 28, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

McDaniel has cut his teeth in the NFL working with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons, but where he really made his name known as a legit offensive mind was working under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers as their run game coordinator and offensive coordinator from 2017-2021.

READ MORE: 3 reasons why Buccaneers are bringing back Todd Bowles

Things obviously unraveled for McDaniel during his time as the head man in Miami, but he still brings juice to an offense using a complex scheme that gets defenses to show their hand.

McDaniel's system requires buy-in from everyone involved in the offense and is complex when it comes to adjusting weekly, and it doesn't stubbornly stick to one approach, moving star players around, creating mismatches and letting the defense dictate where the offense will go.

Where McDaniel excels is his acumen for being the NFL's best run-game designer, using wide-zone and motion to manipulate linebackers, which leads to explosive runs even without dominant offensive line play. With the Bucs struggling to find much operating room in the run game, McDaniel would surely turn that around.

As for Baker Mayfield and the passing game, McDaniel's league-high usage rate of pre-snap motion forces defensive tells and builds answers against the blitz, leading to defined reads for Mayfield, yards after catch (YAC) opportunities and reduced pressure. All of these things play hand-in-hand for Mayfield being able to be successful, less hero ball and more in rhythm throws.

McDaniel should be at the top of the Buccaneers' list to replace Grizzard as the OC heading into 2026, but that will likely be the case for many teams with an open spot. Currently, it seems as if the Bucs will be battling it out with the likes of the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders for McDaniel's services.

READ MORE: Legendary coach Tom Moore announces retirement following Buccaneers stint

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