3 best Mike McDaniel head coaching fits for 2026 after Dolphins firing

At the very least, fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will land on his feet as one of the NFL's premier offensive coordinators. Rather than going that route as a one-year stopgap, though, McDaniel could easily be a viable new leader for at least a few teams that have head coaching vacancies in 2026.

McDaniel got the absolute most he could out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Once the Dolphins rewarded Tua with a huge contract, the former paid the price for it.

Tua's flaws became more glaring in 2025 and ultimately cost McDaniel his job.

Thanks to a unique personality, tailored plans for individual players' success, and schematic brilliance, though, McDaniel should at least get interviews with the following three teams for their head coaching positions.

3 best options for Mike McDaniel to get a fresh start after Miami Dolphins firing

Mike McDaniel could make Atlanta Falcons kings of NFC South by salvaging Michael Penix Jr.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: A fringe playoff contender with an imperfect, oft-injured first-round quarterback who could really use somebody in his corner.

Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a torn ACL for the third time in his career. He's a savvy pocket passer whose huge arm can stretch the field in ways Tua's couldn't.

Although Penix can be a little scattershot accuracy-wise, he'd benefit from McDaniel running a system similar to what Tua had success in, except with even more emphasis on the vertical passing game.

The NFC South is a very gettable division. Penix can be a field-stretching game manager while McDaniel schemes up some exotic plays in the running game — armed with a far better offensive line than he had in Miami.

Think about how well De'Von Achane did under McDaniel's tutelage. Now imagine what he could do with the likes of Bijan Robinson in Atlanta. Robinson is just as versatile as Achane, and whatever he gives up in raw explosiveness, he makes up for with contact balance and a thicker, sturdier frame.

Combine all those elements with a defense that has two promising first-rounders on the edge in James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, along with a brilliant safety tandem in Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts, and McDaniel could have the Falcons high-key, short-order COOKING.

McDaniel was also an assistant on Dan Quinn's staff in Atlanta during that infamous 28-3 Super Bowl. There's familiarity between the coach and organization that makes this union all the more feasible.

Mike McDaniel would take New York Giants' loaded young offense to the next level

Speaking of "let this man cook" scenarios, McDaniel was at his best when the Dolphins had Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as their 1-2 punch at wide receiver.

In addition to having a promising second-year QB in Jaxson Dart on a rookie contract, the Giants have a plethora of weapons for McDaniel to work with. Wide receivers Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson (a free agent they're all but guaranteed to re-sign) are the headliners of that crew.

But the G-Men also have the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They could easily use it on one of two top wideouts in Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson or Ohio State standout Carnell Tate.

We haven't even discussed New York's tight end Theo Johnson, who just had 528 yards and five TD catches as an NFL sophomore. Then, there's the three-headed backfield monster of Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary.

GM Joe Schoen has stumbled several times tenure. One thing he's done very well of late is build the defense. Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux give the Giants serious juice on their defensive front, as does Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Many may count McDaniel out due to New York's brutal cold weather and the media circus. He'd actually be an excellent fit.

Mike McDaniel can revitalize Baltimore Ravens & unlock the best of Lamar Jackson

OK, how about an actual, proven, two-time league MVP quarterback for McDaniel to hitch his wagon to?

I've written before about how awesome it'd be to see McDaniel have a top-tier athlete running the show of his offense. The amount of creativity he could bring to the QB run game feels boundless, and like it'd be borderline unstoppable.

Lamar Jackson looked a little world-weary this season while he fought through multiple injuries. Assuming he gets his electrifying legs back under him in 2026, whoever gets to coach him next should be getting an eager, elite QB ready to prove the doubters wrong.

Baltimore firing John Harbaugh felt more like an admission that the relationship had gotten stale over 18 seasons, rather than an indictment of Harbaugh's coaching ability.

This is where McDaniel could breathe new life into the Ravens. His schematic savvy could convince Derrick Henry to stick around. McDaniel's background as a wide receiver guru would help Baltimore's existing receivers — and get Zay Flowers to reach his full potential.

As long as the defensive core stays in place, the Ravens are poised to bounce back and contend for the AFC North. McDaniel could give them an inside track and basically do what he once did for Tua for Lamar, except on figurative steroids.

I mean, shoot, Baltimore might get to have its cake and eat it too if this Dolphins-centric, Brian Flores-involving scenario comes to pass!