The Miami Dolphins appeared to be sticking with Mike McDaniel as head coach in the immediate aftermath of a disappointing 7-10 season. However, rumors of interest in John Harbaugh persist.
After 18 years at the helm of the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh is on the market after his tenure came to an abrupt end. To think that if Tyler Loop had made his last field goal attempt, Baltimore would be in the playoffs, and Harbaugh would still be coaching the team.
Fascinating how so much can change in the NFL on a single play. Harbaugh's pain could be Miami's gain, though.
NFL insider pours gas on speculation that Miami Dolphins could replace Mike McDaniel with John Harbaugh
Josina Anderson is reporting that the Dolphins have already reached out to John Harbaugh, which puts McDaniel in a bit of an awkward predicament.
I'm told the #Dolphins have been in touch on John Harbaugh, per league sources.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 7, 2026
It's my understanding Todd Monken could have a path to still be Harbaugh's OC (withstanding other opportunities), if Monken departs Baltimore with the arrival of the #Ravens new head coach.
Adding,… https://t.co/IvFmxClego pic.twitter.com/WY10vZ1YeK
Another interesting tidbit about the Miami-Harbaugh link relates to the quarterback position.
"It's also my understanding though that team quarterback situation will be a big factor in this ongoing decision and evaluation process," Anderson added.
The Dolphins are picking 11th overall in the draft, which isn't high enough to score one of the consensus top prospects in Indiana's Fernando Mendoza or Oregon's Dante Moore.
What does Anderson mean by that part of her report exactly? Who knows. I will say it only adds to the intrigue. If there wasn't so much smoke about Harbaugh's fractured relationship with his MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, the possibility of them as a package deal for the Dolphins would be the stuff that Super Bowl dreams are made of.
Anyway, that ain't happening. So really, the only viable option in free agency who represents real upside is Malik Willis. He's played extremely well in relief of Jordan Love over the past two seasons in Green Bay and has flashed legitimate starting potential, with excellent arm strength and top-tier mobility.
Willis is the type of QB Harbaugh is accustomed to after so many years with Jackson. Harbaugh could bring his offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, to Miami if Monken doesn't score a head coaching job himself.
If it were me, I'd try to run it back with McDaniel and shake up this roster. McDaniel did so well to elevate Tua Tagovailoa for many years, and has been let down by some of the roster building that got GM Chris Grier fired during the 2025 campaign.
On the other hand, I get the calls for Harbaugh. It's not every day an elite, Lombardi Trophy-toting head coach goes on the market.
We'll find out soon how this actually plays out. It's anyone's guess at this point. What is certain is that Miami's interest is real. Every team with a coaching vacancy, and even many without one, like the Dolphins, will be at least checking in on Harbaugh.