Mike McDaniel Urged to Choose Eagles Over Lions

By Jordan SiglerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has been a hot name in the NFL's coaching carousel in this hiring cycle.

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The Baltimore Ravens interviewed McDaniel for their open head coaching position, but the 42-year-old coach has been gaining heavy interest for an offensive coordinator gig from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.

Former NFL agent Ben Dogra told Newsweek that McDaniel should take the job with the Eagles because it offers him the best opportunity to prove to league teams he should get a second crack at a head coaching job.

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"I think Philly's the best because they have an offense that regressed from two years ago," Dogra said. "They're looking for a coordinator. They have an elite defense. They have an elite defensive core--a very good defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio)... They have the resources with Howie Roseman. He's considered the best GM in football, and rightfully so."

Roseman has invested heavily in the offense in recent seasons, which has allowed former offensive coordinators to land head coaching gigs.

"They have a proven Super Bowl-winning QB (Jalen Hurts), MVP-type RB in Saquon Barkley," Dogra said of the Eagles. "(Tight end) Dallas Goedert, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and a youngster in Jahan Dotson. The (offensive line) wasn’t up to par, and clearly, the OC (Kevin Patullo) didn’t work out as hoped, but Philadelphia is still an elite Super Bowl-caliber team.

"They will have another draft and free agency to upgrade their team. Make no mistake, Philly is one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL. If they find the right OC, that person will jump to the top of the head coaching candidates for the 2027 NFL season."

Shane Steichen took over the Indianapolis Colts as head coach in 2023 after winning the NFC championship with Philadelphia in 2022. Kellen Moore took the head coaching job of the New Orleans Saints after winning Super Bowl LIX.

Dogra thinks McDaniel can prove his offensive genius by engineering a turnaround with the Eagles. The Lions don't have as much ground to make up in 2026.

Detroit scored the third-most points per game (28.3) in the league during the regular season. Philadelphia ranked No. 19, scoring 22.1 points per game.

If Dogra were in the shoes of McDaniel's agent, Richmond Flowers III, he'd advise McDaniel to step away from coaching for one season, taking advantage of his buyout from the Dolphins to do television and reset.

McDaniel doesn't want to get into a similar situation as what happened to former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett when he took over as offensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 2020.

"I think he (McDaniel) should see how the landscape turns out," Dogra said. "He should take a break from football, meaning coaching--let the landscape reset next year. This is what (Mike) Tomlin seems to be doing, and he could do broadcast work, and he'd have a great chance to provide insight to the fans and the other teams about his capabilities.

"Because people know that he's a good offensive mind, but he did come off of a firing. The dynamics indicate that if you're going to have a contract with an offset, why do you need to rush in there? You don't. It's one thing to be emotional and play, but you also have to be practical."

By all accounts, McDaniel seems interested in returning to coaching in the league in 2026. It'll be interesting to see if the Eagles can convince him to work with Hurts and Barkley. The future of Brown with the Eagles seems uncertain this offseason.

For more on the Eagles and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.

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