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Mike McDaniel is headed west after being fired as the Miami Dolphins head coach.
McDaniel is reportedly expected to become the Los Angeles Chargers’ next offensive coordinator, “barring a change of heart,” according to ESPN.
“McDaniel has informed other teams he’s out, the Chargers clearly want him, and the two sides are having dinner tonight,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday night. “But the expectation across the league is that McDaniel will stay in LA.”
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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stands on the field before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Nov. 30, 2025. (Rich Storry/Imagn Images)
The Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman after a brutal loss to the New England Patriots in the wild-card round. Los Angeles finished 12th in yards per carry. game (333.8), although they were in the middle of the pack in points scored (21.6).
McDaniel’s firing in Miami came as a bit of a surprise, after ownership backed him only to relieve him of his duties soon after.
Dolphins tight end Darren Waller even said he was “at the scene” when he was in the middle of his exit interview with McDaniel when owner Stephen Ross “kicked the door open” about 10 minutes into their discussion.
DOLPHINS’ DARREN WALLER SAYS HE WAS BORN OUT OF EXIT MEETING WITH COACH MIKE MCDANIEL BEFORE FIRING
“He comes in and kind of joins the conversation,” Waller said. “We’re all just talking and reflecting on the year and Stephen Ross said, ‘I’d love to have you back next year.’ Then the conversation kind of just pauses.”
Since then, McDaniel has been flying around for interviews for both head coaching and offensive coordinator opportunities. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles both pursued McDaniel as their top offensive coordinator candidate, according to ESPN.
However, the report adds that “the lure of coming back to California and coaching Justin Herbert proved strongest” as McDaniel was courted across the league.
The Dolphins made back-to-back playoff appearances in McDaniel’s first two seasons as head coach, but were eliminated in the first round both times. The following season, they were eliminated after an unexpected loss to the New York Jets in the team’s season finale.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel leaves the field at the end of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium on October 12, 2025. (Rich Storry/Imagn Images)
McDaniel’s final season in Miami was tumultuous, highlighted by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s struggles and his eventual benching the final three games of the season.
In one of his last big moves as head coach, McDaniel said this week the Dolphins would hold a quarterback competition for the 2026 season, a decision Tagovailoa seemed to welcome this week when he confirmed he was open to a “fresh start” elsewhere.
There is no quarterback competition for the Chargers. Herbert has been the star at the position since being drafted sixth overall in 2020. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod this year after throwing for 3,727 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions behind one of the worst offensive lines in football after tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were lost for the season.
Since taking over, Harbaugh quickly got the Chargers back into the playoffs, but they are looking for the first playoff win under the veteran coach. They also lost in the wild card round last season to the Houston Texans.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs to the locker room after the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Not only will McDaniel have an accurate, strong-throwing quarterback, but there are a few weapons to be optimistic about moving forward, including running backs Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal and receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.
