The Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, and he is widely expected to get interviews for a head coach job or an offensive coordinator role.
Just hours after he was fired, the Detroit Lions were in contact with McDaniel for their open OC role, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Lions have reached out to former #Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel about their vacant offensive coordinator position, sources say. McDaniel is a top candidate for any open OC job. pic.twitter.com/Eg7jc6zTdg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2026
McDaniel went 35-33 in four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach, but Miami decided to move on in what owner Stephen M. Ross said was part of a “comprehensive change.”
The Lions fired OC John Morton, who replaced Ben Johnson after he left for the Chicago Bears head coaching job.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell had stripped Morton of playcalling duties in November, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Morton let go after just one year as the Detroit OC.
The Lions have a lot of young players on offense, including Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LePorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown to go with veteran quarterback Jared Goff.
McDaniel is widely recognized as an offensive guru. He spent four seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ run game coordinator before becoming the OC in 2021.
The Washington Commanders have also been floated as a “logical destination” if McDaniel takes an OC job, so there is already a lot of buzz around the former Dolphins head coach.
