Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel reacts in the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Dec 15, 2025.
The Los Angeles Chargers officially announced the hiring of Mike McDaniel as the team’s new offensive coordinator on Monday.
McDaniel is the former Miami Dolphins head coach and was considered one of the top offensive coordinator candidates available for hire this offseason. He is replacing former Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who the franchise fired after season-ending loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Wild Card round.
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The Chargers have received some positive feedback after hiring McDaniel, including two NFL experts who expressed their approval for the Chargers’ new hire.
Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab Gave the Chargers An “A” Grade
Schwab said that McDaniel will likely be able to help take star quarterback Justin Herbert to the next level. The Chargers will also have Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater back from injuries to help bolster the offensive line next season.
“The Chargers might be a force on offense next season. The talent is there, though last season players like Ladd McConkey seemed to have been forgotten. McDaniel should bring everything together. He got head-coaching interest and was the hottest offensive coordinator candidate on the market, too. The opportunity to take Justin Herbert to the next level must have been enticing. Assuming the offensive line gets fixed starting with more health next season, McDaniel’s play-calling might lead to the Chargers having a top-five offense,” Schwab wrote.
Herbert finished the season with the ninth-most passing yards (3,727) and the seventh-most touchdowns (26) in the NFL. But he was also sacked 54 times, which was the second-most in the league behind Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith and Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward’s 55 sacks this season.
CBS Sports’ Jared Rubin Said the Chargers Are “Winners” For Hiring McDaniel
Rubin said that McDaniel will be able to help improve the Chargers’ run game next season.
“He is one of the best in the NFL at putting players in position to succeed, specifically by getting playmakers the ball in space so they can make things happen after the catch. He also excels at designing a run game. The Chargers have struggled to run the ball for a while, and McDaniel should be able to alleviate that. McDaniel can build an offense around a quarterback with significantly more physical talent… it’s hard to believe the Chargers could have done a better job finding their next OC,” Rubin wrote.
Rookie running back Omarion Hampton was limited by an ankle sprain this season but is expected to return as a big contributor to the offense next season. Meanwhile, the rest of the Chargers’ running backs will be either unrestricted free agents (Najee Harris and Hassan Haskins) or exclusive rights free agents (Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson) this offseason.
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What Are the Chargers Next Steps?
The Chargers still need to hire a new offensive line coach after firing Mike Devlin at the same time the franchise fired Roman.
The Bolts are also on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator to replace Jesse Minter. The Baltimore Ravens hired Minter as the new head coach, and Minter could try to bring some of the Chargers’ defensive coaching staff with him to the Ravens next season.
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