Aug 23, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel enters the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

NFL insider leaning toward Mike McDaniel to Buccaneers

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 12:51 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after just one season and are in the midst of finding his replacement.

The Bucs' offense did not fire on all cylinders as it did in 2024, so Tampa Bay must hire someone who is able to get the most out of the never-ending talent on the roster.

Plenty of strong candidates have been interviewed and continue to be vetted, but perhaps the most notable has been former Miami Dolphins' head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel was thought of as a candidate who could likely land another head coaching gig. Still, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, he may end up as an offensive coordinator, particularly for the Buccaneers.

Tampa seas parting for McDaniel?

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Mike McDaniel has made the rounds, and if I had to guess, he’ll probably wind up as an offensive coordinator in the next week or so," Breer wrote. "I’ve heard Tampa Bay could be a good spot for him, and that, if he does a good job, he could be set up to be Todd Bowles’s eventual successor."

If the Bucs can land McDaniel to be their next OC, it would be a massive upgrade over Grizzard. The offense was inconsistent throughout the season, but with McDaniel leading the charge and hardly any input from head coach Todd Bowles, he would bring that consistency back. This would come along with elite run-game design to improve the running game, matchup-driven passing and QB-friendly structure and weekly adaptability.

McDaniel would immediately come in as one of, if not the, highest-paid coordinators across the league, and would line him up nicely for another head coaching gig — either in Tampa Bay once Bowles' time is up or for another franchise if he is successful in turning the offense back around.

Bringing in a guy like McDaniel would undoubtedly bring some fire back into the offense, and that new coach shock to the system for the offensive players would likely lead to them wanting to perform at a higher level with the confidence instilled in them by McDaniel throughout the offseason.

It is far from a long-gone conclusion on where McDaniel will decide to go or what direction the Bucs want to take when hiring their next OC, but all signs point towards the Bucs being able to reel in one of their top targets due to the pot of gold in talent they have on the offensive side of the ball.