We are getting an idea of why Mike McDaniel was so eager to become the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator after the Miami Dolphins fired him earlier this year.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters on Tuesday that he will be deferring to McDaniel on offensive matters all season, and suggested he will take no real role in that unit. Harbaugh even went as far as to call McDaniel “our leader.”
Pretty clear that Jim Harbaugh will be deferring almost exclusively to what Mike McDaniel wants this year. When asked about McDaniel, Harbaugh said, "That's our leader."
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) June 16, 2026
Harbaugh wants to do whatever he can to help McDaniel. He loves and respects him, clearly.
McDaniel is well-regarded as an offensive mind around the NFL, but not every coach would give him this sort of autonomy. Harbaugh’s willingness to do so may well have been a factor in his decision to take the Chargers job despite several others being available to him.
By all accounts, McDaniel is something like an associate head coach for the Chargers, as he injected himself into their offseason planning as well. Harbaugh has even rubbed off on him in some ways as well.
So far, the relationship between Harbaugh and McDaniel seems to be an excellent one. If things stay that way, the Chargers could be tough to stop in 2026.
