The Lions' top target for their offensive coordinator position appears to be Mike McDaniel. But could McDaniel take the same job with an NFC rival?
First things first: McDaniel has interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs, which could take precedence over offensive coordinator opportunities. He's ostensibly still in the running for the top job with the Ravens, Titans, Raiders and Browns. Those openings might have to be filled before McDaniel makes his move, unless of course McDaniel fills one of them himself.
But there's a chance that McDaniel could take a high-ceiling coordinator gig over a low-floor head coaching job, with an eye toward capitalizing on other head coaching vacancies in the next year or two. The Lions, with all their offensive firepower, certainly look like an attractive destination.
Then again, so do several other teams that have interviewed McDaniel for offensive coordinator, including the Eagles, Buccaneers and Chargers. And the Bucs, with a stable quarterback in Baker Mayfield and a head coach who could soon be done in Todd Bowles, might be emerging as the favorite.
Per NFL insider Albert Breer: 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. 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.
Bowles, 62, is entering his fifth season with the Bucs, which could be his last. He made sweeping changes to his staff after Tampa collapsed in the second half of this season, firing five coaches including OC Josh Grizzard. The Bucs are 35-33, with one playoff win, under Bowles' watch.
In Detroit, meanwhile, Dan Campbell feels entrenched as head coach for the foreseeable future. A stop here for McDaniel would likely not be a stay, which might be fine for both parties if the Lions were comfortable with needing to quickly replace him and McDaniel was comfortable with jumping back into the hiring cycle.