After being fired by the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel chose the Chargers over another head coaching job. Could success with Justin Herbert make him the next Robert Saleh revival story?
by the Miami Dolphins earlier this month, McDaniel had options to return as a head coach or go back to being a coordinator, and after he stepped back from his decision, he made a choice that felt almost rebellious in a league addicted to impatience.
Mike McDaniel answers questions during his introduction as the new offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers NFL football team Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.Mike McDaniel greets Robert Saleh following the game between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, December 17, 2023.Head coaching interviews with the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders. Coordinator interviews with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The familiar NFL carousel was spinning fast enough to make a man dizzy. Instead, he stepped off. He chose the Los Angeles Chargers. He chose Justin Herbert. He chose a coordinator’s headset over another head coach’s office.Eli Manning finds out his Hall of Fame fate in second year as finalistRobert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026.Once upon a time in Santa Clara, McDaniel and Saleh were two sides of the same brilliant coin. From 2017 to 2021, they were the offensive and defensive brains behind Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers, crafting a culture that peaked with a 13–3 season and a Super Bowl LIV appearance in 2019. They were young, sharp, and fearless. The league noticed. Head coaching jobs followed. Miami for McDaniel. New York for Saleh. Saleh’s Jets tenure never stabilized, undone by quarterback chaos, injuries, and a franchise that eats its own. A 20–36 record later, he was out. Fired after a loss in London last October. But Saleh didn’t sulk or feel sorry for himself. Instead, he went home. Back in San Francisco as defensive coordinator in 2025, Saleh rebuilt his reputation the old-fashioned way: results. Even with an injury-ravaged roster, his defense snarled, adapted, and competed. NFL decision-makers noticed again. This week, the Tennessee TitansHis decision to take the Chargers’ offensive coordinator job wasn’t born of desperation. Quite the opposite. He turned down interviews.of others. The Browns. The Bills. The noise. He listened to his gut, flew to Los Angeles, and felt something click. Jim Harbaugh didn’t sell him. He didn’t have to. The pitch was authenticity, ambition, and a quarterback McDaniel has long admired. Oh, and moving his wife and daughter to the Southern California sunshine didn’t hurt either. “You just want to be a part of a hungry organization with like-minded football people that are doing anything and everything to win,” McDaniel said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday. “Those things, coupled with the spirited attitude of my daughter and my wife, made things pretty easy as a girl dad and a husband to have your family in a place where they can get behind too.”Make no mistake about it, Justin Herbert is the draw for McDaniel. If not for a disappointing season from Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, McDaniel might still be the coach in Miami. Herbert is the reason that McDaniel made a calculated move to go back to being a coordinator. He maximized the success in Miami, but now he gets Herbert’s arm, Harbaugh’s structure, and a franchise ready to take the next step in January.“Got a quarterback who I’ve always admired,” McDaniel said.. “A lot of young players, great situation for me and my family to go to the next chapter, which we’re very excited about.” If the Chargers’ offense explodes in 2026, the league won’t frame McDaniel as a fired coach taking a step back. They’ll see him as a recalibrated one who chose patience over panic. The head coaching opportunities will be there. Most NFL head coaches get two chances to lead. McDaniel knows that. Tennessee might be Saleh’s final stop. That’s why this next season matters. That’s why McDaniel’s choice matters. Manhood size drama between former NFL star, model-ex wife takes messy turn with weird claimYankees get hard-throwing righty in trade with RockiesMike McDaniel answers questions during his introduction as the new offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers NFL football team Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.Mike McDaniel greets Robert Saleh following the game between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, December 17, 2023.Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on before the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 11, 2026.
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