Hours after the Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, the Lions have reached out to McDaniel about their vacant offensive coordinator position, per NFL Network.
McDaniel was head coach and offensive play-caller for four seasons with the Dolphins, overseeing one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in his first two seasons. Miami ranked second in yards per play in 2023 and third in 2022 while making the playoffs both years.
The Dolphins' production plummeted in 2024 when Tua Tagovailoa missed significant time due to injuries, and the offense failed to rebound this year. The Dolphins ranked 26th in total offense, 14th in yards per play.
McDaniel came to the Dolphins after five seasons with the 49ers under widely-respected offensive mind Kyle Shanahan, serving as their run game coordinator for four years and eventually getting promoted to OC.
The 42-year-old McDaniel will be one of the most sought-after coaches for offensive coordinator vacancies this offseason. The Lions have one of the most attractive openings in the league, with a top-10 quarterback in Jared Goff and a wealth of weapons around him that's helped produce a top-five offense each of the past four seasons.
Dan Campbell and the Lions are searching for a replacement for John Morton, who was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the season and then fired this week.