It's official: Mike McDaniel is out as head coach of the struggling Miami Dolphins.
Per NFL Network's Top Pelissero, McDaniel was fired on Thursday, a few days after John Harbaugh became the hottest name on the head coaching market. ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that McDaniel's firing had nothing to do with Harbaugh's, although it's hard not to connect the dots there.
This is possibly the best news Lions fans will hear all week. McDaniel is a top offensive mind in the NFL, and should be seen as a top candidate for any open offensive coordinator roles in the NFL. Detroit, of course, just freed up their OC role by firing John Morton following Week 18. Coming to Detroit to unite with another former Dolphins head coach in Dan Campbell could make the deal all the sweeter.
McDaniel fired, opening door wide open for a Lions hire
McDaniel is likely to get tapped by several teams looking to activate their offenses, but it's unclear as of now if he'll only be seeking out another head coaching position this offseason. He'd be an ideal candidate for the Lions opening, though, as they already have an established offense in place: there's no question mark at quarterback, running back, or wide receiver to be found.
SideLion Report writer Brad Berreman posited that the Lions would need to interview McDaniel all the way back in November:
"If McDaniel is fired by the Dolphins after the season, he will be in demand for practically every offensive coordinator opening there will be. If Campbell authors a thorough process to replace Morton, if he replaces Morton, McDaniel is an automatic candidate for an interview if he's available."
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McDaniel was last an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2021, where the team went 13-3 and made the Super Bowl. Jimmy Garopolo looked like a superstar that entire season, and the 49ers offense was humming. He's going to be a highly-sought out mind on the market as the proof of his capabilities is very easy to see in that team.
Detroit hasn't really kicked the tires much on any other potential OCs, but they apparently are looking to interview former quarterback David Blough for the position. That felt like a bit of a project pick from the get go, whereas McDaniel is proven. This would be an acceptable retread given just how set the Lions' offense is, and how badly Detroit needs more creativity in the booth for 2026 and beyond.