As early stages of the NFL offseason continue, Detroit Lions fans wonder if the team will be able to lock in Mike McDaniel as their next offensive coordinator.
Lions fans hope that is the case after seeing the John Morton experiment go awry this season, but it didn’t take long for him to find another opportunity. McDaniel is considered one of the top head coaching candidates remaining in the field with John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski off the board.
There are still multiple teams looking for a head coach, which works in McDaniel’s favor, not so much for the Lions. However, McDaniel doesn’t have to accept a head coaching job, especially with other top teams looking for an offensive coordinator.
In addition to the Lions, we know that the Philadelphia Eagles, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and now the Los Angeles Chargers are in the mix. Greg Auman of FOX Sports reported Wednesday that McDaniel will interview for the Buccaneers’ OC vacancy on Friday, which just passed.
Auman added in his report that the former Miami Dolphins head coach would “consider a great OC opportunity better than a not-great head coaching vacancy. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported on Saturday that McDaniel is planning a few more head coach interviews, but “very much likes” the OC jobs on the table.
Lions Facing Tough Competition in Offensive Coordinator Race for Mike McDaniel
That being said, if you’re Lions general manager Brad Holmes or head coach Dan Campbell, it's good to hear that McDaniel likes the OC jobs that are available.
Looking at the remaining seven head coaching vacancies, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers seem like the best opportunities. However, the Steelers have yet to interview McDaniel, while the Ravens have reportedly scheduled an interview.
But the opportunity to be an offensive coordinator in Detroit, and work with talented skill position players, plus quarterback Jared Goff, is also appealing.
The NFL saw what McDaniel’s offense was able to do on the ground just this season with De’Von Achane. Imagine how it could look with the dynamic duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery behind a revamped Lions’ offensive line. That will help open up the passing game more and create big and explosive plays, which the Lions could’ve used more of.
However, the pursuit of McDaniel won’t be easy for Detroit. The Eagles have a lot of talent at the skill positions and at QB. And the same can be said for Tampa Bay and now the Chargers, who are reportedly scheduled to interview him on Tuesday (h/t @TomPelissero) for their offensive coordinator vacancy.
With that being said, while the Lions hope to get McDaniel, they’ll need to have a contingency plan in order, just in case things don’t fall through.
Would the Lions consider interviewing Brian Daboll? Or is Arthur Smith or Zac Robinson a more feasible option for Detroit if they lose out on McDaniel? That’s something Lions fans don’t want to think about, but it's something the Lions’ brass needs to do.