The Detroit Lions continue to gain competition for Mike McDaniel's services this offseason, with two other lucrative offensive coordinator positions opening up after they had fired John Morton following Week 18: the Philadelphia Eagles job, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' opening.
While it does feel like the Lions job is a lot better than those two, especially with how clear it was in the Eagles' elimination during their NFC Wild Card game how many question marks they have at quarterback right now, it sure sounds like they're angling to court McDaniel for his services.
As reported on by FOX Sports' Greg Auman, "former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will interview for the Bucs’ OC job Friday. He would consider a great OC opportunity better than a not-great head coaching vacancy." And, The Athletic's Dianna Russini has made the connection between McDaniel and the Eagles, reporting that he's at the top of their interview list for their newly opened up OC role.
That screams Detroit, but it could also mean Philadelphia has a decent shot at landing him if they can get just one thing right this offseason: keeping A.J. Brown on board.
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If the Eagles manage to keep Brown from demanding a trade this offseason, that'd help to repair what was wrong with their offense under the auspices of Kevin Patullo. You might've heard from him if you live somewhat near Philadelphia, with fans cheering so loudly in unison when he was demoted that you could probably hear them all the way to Lake Erie.
With Patullo out, there's some major things to like about the Eagles' offense. You have Saquon Barkley on your team, and he can wreck games alone with how powerful of a runner he is. With Brown, you have one of the best weapons available to Jalen Hurts in the air, although it's likely the Eagles look to add to their receiving room despite his talent.
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With Hurts, specifically, you also have to worry about whether what you saw from him this season - really no explosiveness with his arm and a step back with his rushing game - was just an anomaly or something that signals a greater issue. That Hurts might just be what we saw in 2025, an average quarterback propped up by an elite defense and, more recently, Barkley, year after year.
Of course, the Eagles have a one-two punch on the ground similar to the Lions' between Barkley and Tank Bigsby. Bigsby was notably improved this season, rushing for 356 in limited carries under Patullo's system. His average of 5.9 rushing yards per carry was a career high in 2025, and something the Eagles failed to take full advantage of - and, something McDaniel absolutely would exploit.
Still, would you be attracted to an offense being propped up by the hope of Brown sticking around and Barkley maintaining his power as a rusher headed into his ninth NFL season if you were McDaniel? Or, would you rather take a gander at the potential of the Lions' offense, which has already locked in key members of its offense with deserved extensions?
Time will tell, but it seems like all signs about McDaniel's keen eye for a solid OC situation this offseason are pointing to Ford Field. Time to trade in those aviators for some buffs.