Dolphins Fire HC Mike McDaniel
The uncertainty surrounding Mike McDaniel‘s status has ended. Miami has elected to move in a new direction with respect to the head coaching spot. 
McDaniel has been fired, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This ends his four-year run leading the team and creates an eighth head coaching vacancy around the league. Signs pointed toward McDaniel staying in the days following the regular season, but that will not be the case. McDaniel was caught off guard by this decision, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
[RELATED: Fallout From McDaniel Firing; Latest On John Harbaugh]
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change,” a statement from owner Stephen Ross reads in part. “I informed Mike McDaniel this morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach.”
Through the second half of the season, it remained unclear if McDaniel would be retained for 2026. The 42-year-old was safe after the mid-season dismissal of general manager Chris Grier, something which suggested a strong finish to the campaign would allow him another year at the helm. Miami did improve to an extent late, albeit to wind up with a record of 7-10. That made 2025 the second straight season with a losing record under McDaniel, whose overall mark with Miami was 35-33.
McDaniel had a say in the early portion of Miami’s GM search, although it recently became clear he would not be present for interviews. Still, his lingering presence through the Dolphins’ decision to narrow their list of general manager targets suggested McDaniel would be safe. Candidates to replace Grier naturally received questions about working alongside the ex-49ers staffer but also the possibility of a different coach being brought in. With a shortlist of GM targets now in place, the latter route will be taken.
The timing of this move is certainly interesting. The 2026 cycle is set to be dominated by the presence of John Harbaugh, whose 18-year Ravens run came to an end on Tuesday. Multiple reports have pointed to teams contemplating a pursuit of the Super Bowl winner by firing a coach they otherwise would have kept. It remains to be seen if the Dolphins fit that description, as conflicting updates emerged yesterday with respect to Miami’s interest in Harbaugh. The team has not yet reached out to Harbaugh’s agent, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Meanwhile, Schefter’s colleague Jeff Darlington notes McDaniel’s firing would have taken place with or without Harbaugh on the market.
An NFL coach dating back to 2005, McDaniel spent time in Denver, Houston, Washington, Cleveland and Atlanta early in his career. He worked under Kyle Shanahan with the Falcons for two seasons before following him to San Francisco in 2017. Over the course of a five-year run with the 49ers, McDaniel generated a reputation as one of the league’s top young offensive minds.
His first head coaching gig came with the Dolphins, and McDaniel saw early success in the role. Miami reached the postseason in each of his first two years at the helm, bowing out in the wild-card round both times. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not available for the first of those two playoff losses, but when healthy his best performances have come under McDaniel. With that said, 2025 marked a downturn in production from under center, and Tagovailoa was benched late in the season.
A change at the quarterback spot could be coming relatively soon, with Tagovailoa open to a change of scenery. A decision on that front will need to be made by the new general manager in tandem, presumably, with McDaniel’s replacement. In the meantime, McDaniel will become one of the top offensive minds on the market. Interest in a second HC gig could emerge, but failing that there should be a number of offensive coordinator opportunities over the coming days and weeks.
The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000. Ending the NFL’s longest drought in that regard will of course be a central goal for the team’s new decision-makers. As one of only two teams in need of both a general manager and head coach, Miami will be one to watch closely in the near future.
Bills, Packers On Radar For John Harbaugh?
When six non-Ravens HC openings existed, a report indicated seven teams reached out to John Harbaugh within minutes of his firing. Seven non-Baltimore openings are now present, with the Dolphins firing Mike McDaniel today. Another report, however, indicated as many as nine teams had contacted Harbaugh before the Miami development.
A Wednesday report indicated a push from a team playing in the wild-card round is a rumor floating out there, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio pinpoints two potentially interested clubs. The Bills and Packers are viewed by some around the league as teams to monitor with regards to lurking Harbaugh suitors.
Some other teams playing in the first round should not be completely disqualified from Harbaugh pursuits in the event of one-and-done playoff journeys, but Florio mentions Buffalo and Green Bay as the two being discussed the most. The Bills have employed Sean McDermott since 2017, and he has guided them to eight playoff berths. Matt LaFleur was a 2019 hire; he has missed the playoffs only one time since coming over from Tennessee.
LaFleur, though, may not be completely safe. The seventh-year Packers HC may need to win his first-round game to feel “completely” safe, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, citing a feeling around the NFL on this situation. LaFleur is under contract through 2026, via the extension he signed in July 2022. New Packers president Ed Policy came out against lame-duck HCs, meaning a decision will need to be made on an extension before the 2026 season — and likely much earlier. Neither LaFleur nor GM Brian Gutekunst were extended before this season.
Green Bay successfully transitioned from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love under LaFleur. While Love has not flashed MVP-level form like Rodgers did by his third season at the controls, the successor has accounted himself well. Love finished third in QBR this season, finishing with 23 touchdown passes and six interceptions while averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. This came as the Packers played much of the season without Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft. The fast-emerging tight end’s unavailability has hurt the team’s passing attack, and the Packers’ defense has been without Micah Parsons since Week 15. LaFleur’s bunch sunk to 9-7-1, though the team did not play starters in Week 18.
The Pack booked three straight playoff byes from 2019-21 under LaFleur, venturing to two NFC championship games in that span. LaFleur’s decision to kick a field goal down eight in the final minutes of an NFC title game loss to the Buccaneers backfired, and his team went one-and-done as the No. 1 seed a year later. Although the Packers upset the No. 2-seeded Cowboys in Love’s first playoff game and then pushed the No. 1-seeded 49ers a week later, they lost to the Eagles in Round 1 last year. Though, the Eagles stampeding through the playoffs to a Super Bowl title did not make that loss look too bad.
The Bills are in a somewhat similar situation. LaFleur actually has as many conference championship game appearances as McDermott, despite the latter leading Josh Allen-led rosters for eight of his nine seasons. The Bills lost divisional-round games in three straight years before edging the Ravens to reach the AFC championship game last season.
Buffalo’s defense has regularly underwhelmed in marquee games against Kansas City, despite the AFC East powerhouse dominating that series in the regular season, and Allen (25:4 playoff TD:INT ratio) faces the prospect of turning 30 next year without a Super Bowl berth on his resume.
Harbaugh, 63, would seemingly be a fit for both teams due to neither being in rebuilding mode. The same cannot be said for a handful of the current lot of HC-needy teams. He will not take any interviews until next week, with Florio pointing to that timetable as matching up with the potential openings that could emerge after this weekend’s games. Harbaugh’s looming presence adds intrigue to the Packers and Bills’ opening-round contests.
As for the latest team to create a coaching vacancy, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson note the Dolphins have not reached out to Harbaugh yet. It would stand to reason that it is only a matter of time before that happens, however. But the Bills and/or the Packers entering this race could throw a wrench into other, less successful teams’ HC plans.
Buccaneers Fire OC Josh Grizzard
As expected, the Buccaneers will have another new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Josh Grizzard is out after one season, as first reported by Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
Head coach Todd Bowles will remain in place for a fifth season at the helm of Tampa Bay. Changes at the OC spot were recently named as something to watch for, though. Today’s news confirms the Bucs will have a fifth new offensive coordinator in as many years. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is also being let go, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. He had been in place for each of Baker Mayfield‘s three Bucs seasons.
For much of last year’s hiring cycle, it appeared as though Liam Coen would stay with the Buccaneers. He ultimately landed the Jaguars’ head coaching gig, however, which created another OC vacancy in Tampa Bay. Grizzard was promoted to the role, having spent the 2024 campaign as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Expectations were high based on the familiarity in Grizzard’s case, but especially late in the season things did not go as planned for Tampa Bay.
After a 6-2 start, the Buccaneers were unable to maintain their lead in the standings upon returning from their bye week. The team wound up 8-9 and on the wrong side of a three-way tiebreaker to determine top spot in the NFC South. Questions about Bowles’ job security were raised down the stretch, but the Bucs have opted for stability at the HC spot. His attention will now turn to the latest edition of his annual offensive coordinator searches.
Grizzard’s unit ranked 18th in the NFL in scoring and 21st in total offense. Injuries up front and at the skill positions were a common theme throughout the season, but improved consistency will be sought out by his replacement. Grizzard, 35, began his coaching career at the college ranks in 2012. His first NFL stint came with the Dolphins and lasted seven years. A two-year run in Tampa Bay followed, but he now joins the list of ex-OCs on the open market.
Per Rapoport, a trio of names are worth watching with respect to potential Grizzard replacements: Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Falcons OC Zac Robinson. Scheelhaase interviewed with Tampa Bay for the position last year, whereas Monken served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2016-18. His status in Baltimore is uncertain at the moment as the Ravens seek out their John Harbaugh replacement.
Robinson is still in place with the Falcons at the moment, but a new head coach-general manager tandem is yet to be hired. Once that takes place, it would come as little surprise if a reset at the coordinator spots were to follow. That would leave Robinson among the coordinators on the lookout for a new opportunity. In any case, Grizzard’s attention will now turn to his coaching prospects as the 2026 landscape takes shape.
Lions Could Trade RB David Montgomery
After firing John Morton on Tuesday, the Lions are on the hunt for a new offensive coordinator. Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach (and former Lions QB) David Blough and ex-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel have emerged as early candidates. Regardless of who lands the job, it doesn’t appear running back David Montgomery is a lock to remain among the Lions’ offensive weapons in 2026.
The 28-year-old Montgomery took on a lesser role this season, his third in Detroit. It could go down as his last in a Lions uniform. Asked about Montgomery’s future on Thursday, general manager Brad Holmes didn’t rule out an offseason trade.
“Those are discussions that we’re going to have to have a lot more in depth in terms of what is the best plan for him going forward,” Holmes said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Is it somewhere else or whatever the case be.”
Montgomery, a 2019 third-round pick from Iowa State, spent his first four NFL seasons with the NFC North rival Bears. The Lions brought him in on a three-year, $18MM contract in March 2023.
Montgomery’s presence didn’t stop the Lions from using a first-rounder on fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs a month and a half later. Both moves have worked out brilliantly for Detroit. The two RBs (aka “Sonic” and “Knuckles”) have formed one of the league’s top tandems during their three years together.
The electric Gibbs has established himself as the Lions’ lead back, but Montgomery has still seen plenty of action. With Ben Johnson running the offense during Montgomery’s first two years as a Lion, the 5-foot-11, 230-pounder combined for 28 games and averaged 202 carries, 908 yards and about 13 rushing touchdowns per season.
Although Montgomery posted his first career 17-game campaign in 2025, his playing time diminished with Morton and then head coach Dan Campbell calling plays. Despite recording a 4.5 YPC, Montgomery amassed single-season lows in carries (158) and yards (716). He found the end zone eight times on the ground, but that was still a four-TD drop from his 2024 output.
“He deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized,” Holmes said. “And so yeah, would love it for it to be here, but if it can’t be here, then you would have to just see what you can work out the best for him.”
Holmes isn’t under any immediate pressure to make a decision on Montgomery, who has two years left on his second Lions contract. The team awarded Montgomery a three-year, $18.25MM extension with $10.5MM in guarantees in October 2024. Montgomery’s due to count approximately $8.37MM against the Lions’ salary cap in 2026. Trading or releasing him before June 1 would leave the Lions with around $4.86MM in dead money. It would also create another hole on the roster.
Gibbs is one of the league’s premier backs, but subtracting Montgomery would leave the Lions perilously thin at the position. Quarterback Jared Goff‘s 19 rushing attempts ranked third on the team in 2025, meaning Holmes will have to find a capable replacement for Montgomery if he goes in another direction.
Dolphins Close To Hiring General Manager
The Dolphins are suddenly without a head coach after firing Mike McDaniel on Thursday. The team also doesn’t have a full-time general manager, but it appears that’s about to change.
The Dolphins expect to make a decision on a GM by Friday, Jeff Darlington of ESPN reports. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald passes along similar information, writing they’ll choose a candidate by Friday night or Saturday.
Since the Dolphins parted with longtime GM Chris Grier on Halloween, Champ Kelly has held the position on an interim basis. He’s one of four finalists for the job, joining Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams.
The Dolphins interviewed Kelly on Wednesday. Their in-person meetings with Alexander, Sullivan and Williams occurred Thursday, per Darlington. Sullivan previously conducted a Zoom interview with the team on Tuesday, according to Albert Breer of SI.com.
Alexander wasn’t on the Dolphins’ list of GM possibilities until Tuesday. They added him hours before the Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh, Jackson writes. With Harbaugh now available and on the Dolphins’ radar, it’s worth noting that Alexander was in Baltimore’s front office for the majority of the coach’s 18-year run there. Alexander worked in the organization with Harbaugh for 11 years.
Once the Dolphins identify a front office leader, the focus will turn to finding McDaniel’s replacement. The head coaching hire will be a collaborative effort between the GM and owner Stephen Ross, per Jackson. Unsurprisingly, though, Ross will have the final say.
Since taking over as majority owner in 2009, Ross has signed off on hiring four head coaches. None of his previous selections – McDaniel, Brian Flores, Adam Gase and Joe Philbin – won a playoff game. The Dolphins have only gone to the postseason three times under Ross. McDaniel was at the helm for two of those seasons, but back-to-back sub-.500 campaigns cost him his job.
Jets Request DC Interview With Vikings’ Daronte Jones
Chris Harris replaced Steve Wilks as the Jets defensive coordinator late in the season and will have an opportunity to retain his role. However, that won’t stop Aaron Glenn from considering other options for the job. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have requested an interview with Vikings passing game coordinator/DB coach Daronte Jones.
[RELATED: Jets Unlikely To Fire OC Tanner Engstrand; Chris Harris Keeping DC Job In Play]
The 47-year-old coach has bounced around a bit in recent years. He had two-year coaching stints with the Dolphins and Bengals before his first stint in Minnesota in 2020. After serving as the Vikings defensive backs coach under Mike Zimmer for one season, Jones left to become LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
Brian Kelly ended up not keeping him around for a second season, and Jones ended up returning to the Vikings on Kevin O’Connell‘s staff. Jones spent one year as the DBs coach before earning a promotion to defensive pass game coordinator in 2023.
The coach has been involved in the DC cycle for the past few offseasons. He interviewed for the Giants job in 2024, and he was a candidate for the Bears, Jaguars, and Saints gigs in 2025. We heard earlier tonight that the Cowboys had also requested permission to interview him for their defensive coordinator job, and there have been rumblings that he could just earn a promotion to the role in Minnesota if Brian Flores ends up leaving.
Harris only had a brief stint as the Jets interim DC, and he didn’t build much of a case to keep the job in 2026. The Jets gave up 35 first-half points to the Patriots in Week 17 before allowing a Bills team without Josh Allen to score 35 in the regular season finale.
Falcons, Cardinals Request HC Interviews With Packers’ Jeff Hafley
Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has emerged as a popular candidate in this year’s head coaching carousel. The Falcons and Cardinals have requested interviews with Hafley, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The Titans were the first club to request a meeting with the 46-year-old.
With the Packers preparing to face the Bears in a wild-card round matchup on Saturday, Hafley can’t interview with anyone until next week. His defense, which ranked 11th in scoring and 12th in yards during the regular season, helped the Packers to the postseason. They’ll enter the playoffs shorthanded, though, after superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15. In his first season under Hafley, the former Cowboy produced 12.5 sacks in 14 games.
With Parsons’ season over, he may have played his last game in Hafley’s defense. That’s assuming another team hires Hafley as its head coach. While Hafley doesn’t have head coaching experience at the NFL level, he did lead Boston College from 2020-23. BC went 22-26 and made trips to two bowl games during that four-year span.
Hafley, previously an assistant with the Buccaneers, Browns and 49ers, returned to the pros in 2024. The Packers’ defense ranked fifth in scoring and sixth in yards last year, which earned Hafley a head coaching interview with the Jets. They went on to hire Aaron Glenn instead.
A year after the Jets passed on him, Hafley will have more chances to convince teams he’s worthy of his first head coaching job in the pros. He’d be the second straight defensive-minded hire for Atlanta or Arizona. The Falcons sputtered to a 16-18 record in two years under Raheem Morris, who’s also among Arizona’s HC candidates. The Cardinals gave Jonathan Gannon the ax after he posted a disastrous 15-36 mark in three seasons.
Commanders Interview Lunda Wells For OC Job
The Commanders have interviewed their first potential replacement for Kliff Kingsbury. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported earlier today that the organization had requested permission to interview Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells for their OC vacancy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that Wells completed an interview this evening for the job.
[RELATED: Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury Part Ways]
As Dan Quinn is tasked with rebuilding his coaching staff, he’s considering a familiar face to guide his offense. Wells served as the Cowboys TEs coach throughout Quinn’s three-year stint as the team’s defensive coordinator. Quinn actually pursued Wells two years ago to lead his offensive line, so the Commanders HC clearly thinks highly of the coach.
Wells had an eight-year stint with the Giants to begin his NFL coaching career, working his way up from an offensive quality control coach to tight ends coach. During his two seasons in that latter role, Evan Engram had two of the best yards-per-game showings of his career. Wells moved to the Cowboys in 2020, where he guided Dalton Schultz to his most productive NFL season before developing Jake Ferguson into a Pro Bowl-quality tight end.
Wells was also recruited by the Bears last offseason, so the 42-year-old has clearly been emerging as a popular name in coaching circuits. The Cowboys made an effort to retain him last offseason, including signing the coach to an extension. Now, he may have an opportunity to take that next step of his career with a division rival.
After being forced to move on from his offensive and defensive coordinator, Quinn also fired offensive line coach Bobby Johnson yesterday. The team kicked off their DC search by requesting an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
Fallout From Mike McDaniel’s Firing; Latest On John Harbaugh
The Dolphins brought an end to the Mike McDaniel era with Thursday’s firing. The move came as a surprise to McDaniel, who previously informed his staff that he’d continue as the Dolphins’ head coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says.
McDaniel was involved in Miami’s search for a general manager, an indication he’d stay, but it didn’t bode well for him when team brass began asking candidates about working with a different head coach.
Although owner Stephen Ross was a McDaniel advocate throughout the coach’s four-year tenure, the tide began turning on Tuesday. McDaniel presented a plan to Ross then, but the latter was “leaning toward making a change” when their meeting ended, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.
Despite valuing McDaniel’s “intelligence and offensive mind,” Ross didn’t want to continue with the “status quo,” according to ESPNs’ Marcel Louis-Jacques. That would have meant giving McDaniel another chance after two straight sub-.500 seasons in which the Dolphins combined for a 15-19 record.
McDaniel’s firing came not long after the Ravens moved on from John Harbaugh on Tuesday, though the Dolphins’ decision was unrelated, Jeff Darlington of ESPN reports. While Darlington adds that the Dolphins have not reached out to Harbaugh to gauge his interest in the position, that will change “very soon,” Jackson relays.
There’s a “longtime relationship” between Ross and the Harbaugh family, Jackson notes, and that may aid the team in a potential pursuit of the 63-year-old coach. Indeed, the Dolphins and Giants are among teams Harbaugh will seriously consider for his second head coaching job, per Jackson. Harbaugh is reportedly the Giants’ preferred candidate.
As for McDaniel’s future, his next stop may be in the AFC North, Harbaugh’s former division. The Browns are interested in McDaniel, as reports from Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com and Josina Anderson of The Exhibit indicate. The team has “long admired” McDaniels’ offensive mind, according to Cabot, and there’s familiarity between him and the organization. As McDaniel climbed up the coaching ranks, the Kyle Shanahan disciple spent 2014 in Cleveland as its wide receivers coach.
The Browns have not set up a meeting with McDaniel yet. However, it’s possible an interview will occur next week, according to Cabot. With a total of eight head coaching vacancies across the NFL, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see multiple teams consider McDaniel.
Mutual Interest Between John Harbaugh, Browns For HC Job?
John Harbaugh could end up sticking around the AFC North. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are “definitely doing their diligence” on the former Ravens head coach. Interestingly, that interest may be mutual.
Cabot says that Harbaugh is “believed to have legitimate interest” in the Cleveland job, even with their uncertainty on offense. Besides an opportunity to play his former team twice a year, Cabot notes that there a handful of reasons why Harbaugh could be a logical fit for the organization.
For starters, the coach has deep Cleveland roots. Both John and Jim Harbaugh grew up as Browns fans, and their parents even honeymooned at a Browns game. Both of their parents are Ohio natives, with Jack Harbaugh once playing football at Bowling Green. John Harbaugh, of course, ended up tormenting his favorite childhood team throughout his Baltimore tenure, going 27-8 during his 18 seasons as the Ravens head coach (including a 12-5 record in Cleveland).
Next, Harbaugh also has interest in working alongside a pair of Browns coaches. Cabot says that Harbaugh would consider retaining defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and the former Ravens head coach is also a big fan of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. That duo already interviewed for the Browns HC opening this week, and Cabot notes that the franchise would love to keep both of the coaches in some capacity depending on the outcome of their search.
Of course, there are also rumblings that Harbaugh would likely recruit Ravens OC Todd Monken to his next stop, per Armando Salguero of Outkick.com. There have been a handful of reports that Harbaugh’s unwillingness to fire Monken in Baltimore may have contributed to his ouster with the Ravens. Interestingly, the Browns requested a head coach interview with Monken.
To top it all off, Cabot notes that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has admired Harbaugh for many years. As the team embarks on a thorough search for a replacement for Kevin Stefanski, Harbaugh would seemingly be the organization’s main target. Of course, Harbaugh likely leads the list for most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams.
Cleveland’s current list of candidates includes:
- Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interview requested
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Rumored candidate
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interview requested
- Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interview requested
- Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): To interview 1/8