Dolphins who may Reunite with McDaniel in LA and Several Chargers Should Avoid

The Los Angeles Chargers have officially announced the hiring of former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel is charged with revamping and improving the Chargers offense which allowed quarterback Justin Herbert to be hit and sacked at near record-breaking rates. On top of the season-long issues, the offense only mustered three points in a wildcard playoff loss to the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots.

McDaniel will be bringing a new and modern philosophy to Los Angeles. The Chargers in the past two years have struggled to creatively find answers to maximize their available talent. Head coach Jim Harbaugh hopes that the arrival of McDaniel will bring a new level of offensive problem-solving while marrying creativity with Harbaugh's philosophy on game management and control.

Innovation often brings change. The Chargers were built and the roster was constructed at several positions to maximize Greg Roman's offense. Good football players are good football players, but with McDaniel at the helm of the offense and the Chargers with a significant number of free agents, roster turnover is expected at several positions.

Several free agents or even potential free agents from the Dolphins may make sense for the Chargers to fill roles and bring familiarity. Several others, the Chargers should steer clear of.

Potential fits for the Chargers from Miami

Cole Strange

The Chargers broke records along their offensive line this season for all of the wrong reasons. They fielded over 30 combinations along the of offensive line and were a walking emergency room filled with injuries.

The Chargers finished the season with the most different offensive line combinations (32) in the NFL, per @NextGenStats.

The teams with the most OL combos with record in parenthesis...

🔹Chargers - 32 (11-6)
🔹Browns - 30 (5-12)
🔹Saints - 29 (6-11)@chargers | #BoltUp
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) January 6, 2026

The Chargers need depth as they look to rebuild their offensive line. Cole Strange is a former first round draft pick of the New England Patriots in the 2022 draft class. He was signed off a practice squad by the Dolphins and played solid football down the stretch of 2025. He may not be a genuine starter but if the Chargers choose to draft a starting offensive lineman, having a capable veteran with experience at both center and guard in the mix would be ideal.

Greg Dulcich

The Chargers have only Oronde Gadsden II and Will Dissly under contract in the tight end room heading into 2026. Dulcich is a former third-round pick for the Denver Broncos and is a pass-catching option, and also played on special teams. The Chargers were asking tight end Tyler Conklin to play special teams mid-way through 2025 to limited success.

Dolphins players the Chargers should let swim away

Darren Waller

Darren Waller put his rap music career on hold to return to the NFL last season. He was incredibly impactful last season for the Dolphins, when he was on the field. Waller played in only nine games after taking the 2024 season off in retirement. Waller appeared to still have some tread left on the tires down in Miami, but his injury history and with Oronde Gadsden II in-house, the Chargers should look elsewhere for additions to the tight end room.

Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill is still under contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2026. Hill's contract is monstrous and carries over a $52 million cap hit coming off a horrific knee injury. Miami may choose to move on from the soon to be 32 year old wide receiver sooner rather than later.

Hill suffered a horrific injury, including an ACL tear and a dislocated knee. Hill faces a brutal rehab process. For a receiver reliant on speed and explosiveness entering his age 32 season, the question has to be asked, will he ever return to form?

Hill himself is that the Dolphins will likely move on from the four-time All-Pro in the off-season and has been flirting with other teams on social media. He reacted to the original news of Mike McDaniel reportedly being hired by the Chargers with a simple acknowledgement of the move.

Mike to the chargers hm
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) January 21, 2026

The Chargers as a franchise have generally steered clear of players with off-field concerns. Hill has faced a mountain of trouble off the field going back to his college days that caused his draft stock to fall and ultimately be drafted by the Chiefs.

Hill has been accused on more than one occasion of domestic violence, as well as child abuse and assaults and other run ins with the law.

The Spanos family has maintained a very low tolerance for any behavior or questions of this type and rightfully so. The off-field issues likely exclude Hill from serious consideration to be signed in Los Angeles.

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