Another Potential Option for McDaniel ... And It's a Doozy

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is set to become Chargers offensive coordinator, but there is a caveat

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel looks on during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The idea of former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel working with Justin Herbert after working with Tua Tagovailoa is pretty intriguing, but what about him working with Josh Allen?

That possibility is now on the table with the Friday morning report from MMQB NFL writer Albert Breer that McDaniel will join the list of candidates who will interview for the head coach job with the Buffalo Bills in the aftermath of their firing of Sean McDermott.

Remember that McDaniel is set to become offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers to replace Greg Roman, but that's only if he doesn't land a head-coaching job of his liking. That place won't be Cleveland because McDaniel pulled himself out of contention, but he's still a candidate for the Las Vegasn Raiders and now the Bills.

McDaniel landing with Buffalo obviously would be quite the turn, even topping what happened in 2019 when Adam Gase became New York Jets head coach within days of the Dolphins firing him.

One big difference is that McDaniel wouldn't inherit a struggling team, but rather one that's been a force in the AFC since the start of the 2020s and one that always has to be considered a contender as long as Allen performs at an MVP level. While he did have a mediocre performance in Buffalo's crushing overtime playoff loss at Denver last weekend, Allen still helped the Bills score 30 points against one of the best defenses in the NFL and he also is among the finalists for MVP honors after winning the award last year.

Interestingly enough, another candidate getting an interview with the Bills is McDaniels' defensive coordinator the past two years, Anthony Weaver. Weaver also is a candidate for the open position with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The move with the Chargers has not become official, nor will it until McDaniel's head-coaching possibilities have been exhaused.

McDaniel informed the Cleveland Browns earlier Tuesday he no longer wanted to be considered for their head coach opening, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The Browns have been looking for a head coach after firing Kevin Stefanski, who has since accepted the same position with the Atlanta Falcons.

Another opportunity for McDaniel disappeared when the Detroit Lions hired Drew Petzing from the Arizona Cardinals to become their new offensive coordinator, and the Tennessee Titans hired 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh — McDaniel's former colleague in San Francisco — as head coach.

McDaniel remained a candidate for the offensive coordinator openings with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the Tennessee Titans as another possibility, but he's apparently landed on the Chargers job.

From a non-football standpoint, the Chargers' job has the location appeal because McDaniel's wife is from California.

From a football perspective, there's a delicious irony here that joining the Chargers would mean McDaniel would go from coaching Tua to coaching Herbert, moving from the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the sixth pick. And all reports indicate the chance to coach Herbert was a big part of the appeal for McDaniel.

With the Chargers, McDaniel would work under veteran head coach Jim Harbaugh and lead an offense that features 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton at running back, a solid trio of young wide receivers in Ladd McConkey, 2024 first-round pick Quentin Johnston
and Tre Harris, as well as having star tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning after missing all (Slater) or most (Alt) of the 2025 season because of injuries.

Joining the Chargers also would mean a return to Hard Rock Stadium for McDaniel, who served as head coach of the Dolphins the past four seasons before being fired Jan. 8.

McDaniel is among 14 coaches who interviewed for the Raiders position, a list that includes new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley.

Landing the Las Vegas head coach position would put McDaniel in a position to coach Fernando Mendoza, who's widely expected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, along with 2025 fifth overall pick Ashton Jeanty, and working with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.

WHERE DOLPHINS HEAD COACH WENT AFTER LEAVING

George Wilson (1966-69) — Didn't coach again

Don Shula (1970-95) — Retired

Jimmy Johnson (1996-99) — Retired

Dave Wannstedt (2000-04) — Head coach, University of Pittsburgh

Nick Saban (2005-06) — Head coach, University of Alabama

Cam Cameron (2007) — Offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

Tony Sparano (2008-11) — Offensive coordinator, New York Jets

Joe Philbin (2012-15) — Assistant head coach/offensive line coach, Indianapolis Colts

Adam Gase (2016-18) — Head coach, New York Jets

Brian Flores (2019-21) — Senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach, Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike McDaniel (2022-25) — Offensive coordinator, L.A. Chargers