Is Mike McDaniel’s next job as an offensive coordinator, or as a head coach?

After four seasons in Miami, Mike McDaniel is looking for his next job.

His tenure as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins ended on Thursday, with owner Stephen Ross announcing that the organization is “in need of comprehensive change.” Speculation about John Harbaugh — which began moments after the Baltimore Ravens fired their long-time head coach — has grown in the past hours.

But where does that leave McDaniel?

His future was tied to several offensive coordinator roles around the league, both open and potentially open, but his options might be be more than that.

Offensive coordinator options for Mike McDaniel

Given his background as an offensive mind, and what he was able to accomplish at times in Miami with Tua Tagovailoa, some offensive coordinator spots could be attractive for both McDaniel, and a new team.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders announced a pair of changes earlier this week, parting ways with both defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Washington has the starting quarterback in place, with 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. After guiding the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game last season, however, Daniels struggled with injuries and Washington sputtered to a 5-12 finish.

The pairing of Daniels and McDaniel makes a great deal of sense, given McDaniel’s background and his experience working with a young quarterback. Add in the fact that McDaniel and Quinn have a bond that runs deeper than football, and you might have the perfect landing spot.

When McDaniel was on Quinn’s staff with the Atlanta Falcons, the head coach (along with Raheem Morris and Kyle Shanahan) sat McDaniel down to address his sobriety.

That changed McDaniel’s life

“Dan Quinn holds a special place in my heart and my career,” McDaniel said in November before the two met for the first time as head coaches. “I think he was there at ground zero when I became sober and supported me and gave me the opportunity to continue what I love to do. So for that, I’ll be forever indebted to him.”

Quinn also holds McDaniel in high regard.

“I’ve known Mike to be an excellent coach. He can process things so quickly, it’s no surprise to see that his offense can throw the ball quickest. They can have the fastest motions. That’s Mike to a T, where he can just think so quickly on it. When Mike left Atlanta into San Francisco, I knew he’d make an impact there. And then you’d see that during his time in Miami,” said Quinn in November. “And so, the work with the quarterback, with the offense, that’s where he is at his best. He’s quick, he can get to the next play quickly, to the next concept. So yeah, man, I really enjoyed working with Mike, he’s one of my favorite coaches.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another option for McDaniel just opened up, only a one-hour flight from Miami.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after just one season, after the team collapsed down the stretch to end up eliminated from playoff contention.

What could make Tampa Bay an attractive option for McDaniel? Instead of developing a young quarterback, he’d get to work with a veteran in Baker Mayfield. Beyond Mayfield, Tampa Bay has talent around the quarterback position, and has been either a playoff team — or a team on the cusp of the playoffs — each of the past six seasons.

Detroit Lions

Similar to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Detroit Lions are looking for a new offensive coordinator a year after a former coach took a head coaching job.

With Ben Johnson moving to Chicago, the Lions turned to John Morton to guide Detroit’s offense this past season. But midway through the year head coach Dan Campbell took over the play-calling duties, a sign that things were not working out under Morton’s leadership.

Detroit fired Morton earlier this week.

Also similar to the Buccaneers’ job, in Detroit McDaniel would get the chance to work with a veteran quarterback in Jared Goff, and call plays for a team just one season removed from a playoff appearance.

Kansas City Chiefs

The offensive coordinator role is not open in Kansas City, at least not yet.

But with the Chiefs missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, their coaches are available to interview for head coaching jobs while the playoffs are ongoing. One of the candidates taking head coaching interviews? Current Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who once was the head coach of the Chicago Bears. According to available reporting, Nagy is set to meet with both the Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders this week for interviews.

Should Nagy leave Kansas City for a head coaching job, the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator position might become one of the hottest openings in the league. After all, coaching Patrick Mahomes does sound like a good job.

McDaniel might be one of many coaches angling for that gig.

Philadelphia Eagles

Here we go.

It is absolutely no secret that Philadelphia Eagles fans are unhappy with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Just do a quick Google search of his name, and you’ll see countless stories, videos, and more with Eagles fans clamoring for a change.

Their “dream candidate?”

He just became available.

Sure, the Eagles could make a deep playoff run and, as some have theorized, Jalen Hurts could save Patullo’s job with his “clutch gene.” But if Philadelphia gets bounced out of the playoffs this weekend by the San Francisco 49ers, things could change in a hurry.

Head coaching options for Mike McDaniel

So far we have only discussed offensive coordinator roles for Mike McDaniel. Certainly that might be where he lands, as a coordinator, this hiring cycle. And who knows, maybe after four seasons as head coach McDaniel just wants to design plays on a white board and then put them into action on Sundays, without worrying about the other stuff that comes with being a head coach.

However …

If you look around the current head coaching vacancies (and read the articles that break down each opportunity) there is something of a theme emerging.

The need for an “offensive-minded head coach to help develop a young quarterback.”

Look at the openings. Las Vegas? The Raiders are picking first in the draft and are expected to select either Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore. Tennessee? Cam Ward looks like the real deal, but they need the right coach to get the most out of him. New York? The Giants have Jaxson Dart, but like Tennessee they need the right coach to get the most out of him. Cleveland? Yes Kevin Stefanski leaves as an offensive-minded head coach, and teams often go in the other direction when making a change, but if the Browns add a young quarterback and/or look to develop Shedeur Sanders, the “offensive-minded head coach” route seems like a smart move.

Now look at the head coaching options on the market. McDaniel and Stefanski stand out as two of the top options in the “offensive-minded head coach” category. There are reasons that Matt Nagy and Mike McCarthy are getting interviews, and it’s because that skillset is a valued commodity every hiring cycle, and this one in particular. Speaking to a former college staff member a few weeks ago about a different head coaching candidate, the message was clear: If you are an offensive-minded head coach with play-calling experience, those are the candidates that will see the Brinks truck parked outside.

It might lead McDaniel back to a head coaching gig, with one of those jobs discussed above.

Let’s look at two of these in particular.

Tennessee Titans

There are several reasons the Titans could be a landing spot for McDaniel.

Again, it starts with the quarterback. It might not be reflected in their record, but Cam Ward showed more than enough for Titans fans to believe in him going forward. Now is the time for Tennessee to try and load up around him, and make a run at being next year’s version of the New England Patriots.

Like New England, the Titans enter this offseason with a second-year quarterback on his rookie deal, and with a ton of cap space at their disposal. According to Over the Cap, the Titans over $84 million in effective cap space for 2026, second only to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Hire a coach with playoff experience — like the Patriots did with Mike Vrabel — put that cap space to good use, and turn things around in a hurry.

Las Vegas Raiders

Much of what we just said about the Titans applies here.

Las Vegas enters 2026 with the third-most effective cap space in the league, with more than $70 million at their disposal to try and improve the roster. On offense you’ve got Blake Bowers and Ashton Jeanty to build around, and you have a bridge quarterback in Geno Smith to smooth the glide path for the rookie that you draft at No. 1.

The difference between the two lies in how you feel about Cam Ward versus how you feel about either Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore (provided both enter the draft). But again, getting the “offensive-minded head coach” in the building is going to be a focus for the Raiders, to develop their next quarterback.

Again, with the names that are out there, McDaniel should be on their list.