CLEVELAND, Ohio — Could former Browns receivers coach Mike McDaniel, the current Dolphins head coach, be headed back to Cleveland?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that McDaniel would be a candidate for the Browns’ head coaching vacancy if the Dolphins fire him, and the Browns part ways with Kevin Stefanski.

The Browns have had internal discussions about Stefanski’s future, but it remains to be seen if they’ll let him go after Sunday’s season finale in Cincinnati. Fowler also reported that Stefanski would be a leading candidate for the Giants’ vacancy.

One of the factors in the decision will be the continued development of Shedeur Sanders, who’s made significant strides over his six starts, including during Sunday’s 13-6 upset of the Steelers.

Although the defense was primarily responsible for that victory, Sanders continued to flash “quality starter” potential with his accuracy, decision-making and mobility, especially in the first half of the game. If the Browns determine after the season that Sanders is their QB1 in 2026 — and it appears to be trending that way — that could work in Stefanski’s favor considering how well he’s developed him since the Browns drafted him in the fifth round.

Despite no reps with the first-teamers until his first start in Las Vegas six weeks ago, Sanders has played extremely well at times, giving the Browns hope that he can be their 2026 QB1. It also helps Sanders’ case that the Browns dropped three spots to No. 6 in the draft with the victory over the Steelers, and would have a tough time landing one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the draft.

As for McDaniel, the Browns have always admired his brilliant offensive mind, his innovative play-calling and his strategic thinking. He’s been on their radar for some time, and would likely jump at the chance to interview him if the Dolphins fire him and the Browns part ways with Stefanski.

But McDaniel, 42, has won a lot of games down the stretch for the Dolphins this season, and the Dolphins might decide to stay the course. After a 1-6 start — including a 31-6 loss to the Browns — they’ve have won six of their last nine for a 7-9 mark heading into the finale.

But the Dolphins, who benched quarterback Tua Tagovailoa two games ago in favor of Quinn Ewers, were eliminated from playoff contention, and it remains to be seen if they’ll stick with McDaniel.

In his four seasons as Dolphins head coach, he’s gone 35-34 in the regular season, and 0-2 in the playoffs.

The Browns got an up-close-and-personal look at McDaniel when he served as receivers coach here in 2014 under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. That season, with Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel at quarterback, was marked by friction between Shanahan and the front office, namely GM Ray Farmer.

When Shanahan orchestrated his way out of Cleveland after that season, McDaniel left with him, signaling his loyalty to the future head coach of the 49ers.

McDaniel followed Shanahan to Atlanta in 2015 when the latter took over as offensive coordinator, and worked as an offensive assistant during the Falcons’ offensive resurgence. The collaboration led to the Falcons’ run to Super Bowl LI following the 2016 season, a campaign in which the offense was praised for it creativity and precision.

When Shanahan was hired as head coach of the 49ers in 2017, McDaniel again went along, initially serving as run game coordinator and working his way up to offensive coordinator. During that time, McDaniel gained a reputation for his offensive genius, with San Francisco consistently ranking among the NFL’s top rushing teams, even while rotating through multiple quarterbacks.

The Dolphins hired McDaniel as head coach in 2022, betting on his ability to maximize a roster built primarily on speed at receiver. The move marked a philosophical shift for the franchise, which had cycled through defensive-minded leadership and conservative offenses.

In Miami, McDaniel quickly installed an aggressive, motion-centric scheme that emphasized spacing and timing. Tagovailoa enjoyed the most productive stretch of his career under McDaniel, while receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle became the cornerstones of one of the league’s most explosive passing attacks. The Dolphins led the NFL in yards per play in 2022 and were among the league leaders in scoring when healthy.

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