The Chargers’ delay in announcing Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator isn’t cause for panic. With McDaniel still interviewing for head coaching jobs, the team appears confident he’ll land in Los Angeles once league-wide vacancies are resolved.
Fans of the Los Angeles Chargers were beyond excited earlier this week when reports surfaced that former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had agreed to become the team’s next offensive coordinator. The news came shortly after Greg Roman was fired, a clear signal that Jim Harbaugh is looking to modernize the offense and better maximize quarterback Justin Herbert.
But as the week begins to wind down, a simple question remains unanswered: why hasn’t the hiring been officially announced by the Chargers?
As it turns out, while McDaniel has reportedly agreed in principle to take the Chargers’ offensive coordinator job, he is still very much in the mix for other head coaching vacancies around the league. Until those situations resolve themselves, nothing can be finalized. Assuming McDaniel does not land one of those remaining head coaching positions, the expectation remains that he will be calling plays for Herbert in 2026.
That waiting game became more complicated when the Buffalo Bills made the stunning decision to fire Sean McDermott earlier this week. With one of the league’s most attractive openings suddenly available, a number of high-profile candidates are now vying for the job. The Bills are reportedly planning to interview Brian Daboll and Chargers legend Philip Rivers, but Mike McDaniel is also expected to receive strong consideration.
While the idea of running an offense built around Justin Herbert is undeniably appealing, the opportunity to be the head coach of a perennial MVP candidate like Josh Allen is one that very few coaches could realistically turn down. Head coaching jobs are scarce, and McDaniel knows this may be his best chance to immediately land with a Super Bowl-ready roster.
So should Chargers fans begin to panic that their dream offensive coordinator hire might slip away at the last second? Not quite.
There appears to be a quiet confidence within the Chargers organization that McDaniel will ultimately end up in Los Angeles. One telling sign is the way the team has handled the offensive coordinator search since the initial report broke. Since news of McDaniel’s agreement surfaced, there have been no additional reports of the Chargers interviewing other OC candidates. In a league where teams rarely sit idle, that silence speaks volumes.
If Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz truly believed McDaniel was headed elsewhere, it would make little sense to pause the process entirely. Instead, they would almost certainly be lining up contingency plans. The fact that they have not suggests they are comfortable waiting things out.
Additionally, the Chargers still have other coaching vacancies to address, most notably replacing Jesse Minter at defensive coordinator. It is possible the organization is prioritizing that search while allowing McDaniel’s situation to resolve itself naturally.
Ultimately, this feels less like a deal falling apart and more like a formality delayed by league-wide circumstances. Head coaching opportunities will always take precedence, and the Chargers knew that risk when they targeted McDaniel in the first place.
Until one of those openings is filled, patience will be required. But for now, all signs still point toward Mike McDaniel becoming the man tasked with unlocking the best version of Justin Herbert—and that alone should keep Chargers fans optimistic.