It sure seems that if Mike McDaniel lands any head coach job this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders opening is the only one he really wants.
After winning 11 games in his second season as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, McDaniel’s tenure with the team began to slowly unravel. Reports suggested the methods he used to turn them into a top team in the AFC backfired and led to losing control of the locker room in 2024 and 2025.
Miami finished with losing records the last two seasons, and their 7-10 finish to this past season was too much for management, and they ousted the 42-year-old. However, while his first run as a head coach ended messily, McDaniel’s mind as an offensive guru still holds a lot of value around the NFL.
It is why once he became available, he was a top candidate for various offensive coordinator openings, as well as some head coach jobs. However, earlier this week, McDaniel seemingly put the speculation to rest when it was revealed he had accepted the job to be the Los Angeles Chargers‘ next OC. But that’s not where the story ends.
While he is set to be the next Chargers OC, he is also still a contender for different head coach jobs. One of them is with the Raiders, and it seems like that is the only one he really wants.
Mike McDaniel takes name out of running for Browns and Bills jobs
McDaniel was a candidate to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns and met with the team earlier this month. However, a new report from ESPN’s Tom Pelissero suggests he might have passed on a second interview because the team is asking candidates to do a personality test, write an essay, and complete homework assignments to prove they deserve the job.
The former Dolphins coach was reportedly also in the running for the same opening with the Buffalo Bills and was set to meet with the front office on Friday. However, he surprisingly cancelled that conversation. Passing on the opportunity to work with one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL, Josh Allen.
The pair of reports might suggest that McDaniel is focused on being the Chargers’ OC next season. However, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, “McDaniel remains in contention for the Raiders’ head coaching job.”
McDaniel could soon take his name out of the running for the Raiders job. However, the team does have the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and far lower expectations than the Bills. Furthermore, he may see an appeal to working with minority owner Tom Brady. Either way, it seems like being the next head coach of the silver-and-black is the one he really wants.
