Mike McDaniel's next NFL home was just officially revealed after Dolphins exit

When the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel to be their head coach, it was in part to see what he could do with Tua Tagovailoa. For a season and a half, it appeared that he made the most of the opportunity. Now he will get the chance to do it with the quarterback taken one pick after Tagovailoa.

McDaniel is officially the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, where he will work with Justin Herbert to get him to another level. If he can succeed, the final question about Tagovailoa will be answered, not that it hasn't already.

Miami's decision to part ways with McDaniel wasn't surprising. Some believe it was a year too late. Miami replaced him with Jeff Hafley last week.

Miami Dolphins will welcome Mike McDaniel back to South Florida in 2026

The Dolphins already know their opponents for 2026, and one of them will be the offense led by McDaniel. The Chargers and the rest of the AFC West are on Miami's schedule next year. The return will be interesting as the Dolphins look to undo everything their former coach and Chris Grier put on the field.

By the time the game rolls around, it won't likely feature a match between Tagovailoa and Herbert, as the Dolphins quarterback is not expected to return next year.

McDaniel did well in his four years, at times, but he couldn't replicate the success he had in 2023. His inability to change his offense has also been a problem. In L.A., he will need to rebuild the rushing attack to take pressure off Herbert.

The former Dolphins coach has a tendency to stick with the big play opportunities. Given Herbert's arm strength, it's hard not to see McDaniel trying to go deep, or in his words, more "one play drives." That's fine for Dolphins fans who want a more balanced offensive attack.

The Dolphins' offense will now be called by Bobby Slowik, McDaniel's passing game coordinator. Slowik has held an OC position before. While with the Texans, he helped make C.J. Stroud's rookie season stand out, but the following year wasn't good, and the Texans fired him.