For a coach who just lost his job, Mike McDaniel is having a remarkably good week, and one of his former star players is ready to explain why. Just over a week after his Miami Dolphins exit, various teams have shown interest in him for head coaching vacancies. At the same time, some NFL teams are even eyeing him as an offensive coordinator. Amid all that noise, Dolphins star Darren Waller stepped in to vouch for his former coach’s ability.

To drive the point home, Waller even shared a story from a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. During that matchup, McDaniel spotted a soft spot in the Chargers’ quarters coverage and went hunting. He stacked multiple receivers to one side, forced the defense to declare, and then attacked the confusion. As a result, the offense scored a massive 60-yard touchdown. Waller stressed how those shifting looks created instant mismatches, even though he never clarified which specific game it was.

Speaking on the Glory Daze Podcast, Waller explained what it is actually like to play for McDaniel. He labeled McDaniel a “human computer” and leaned hard into how advanced his play calling really is.

“He’s brilliant. You see, throughout the years, everybody needs somebody to blame,” Waller said later in the interview. “The (expletive) that he’s preaching, what he’s teaching, how detailed he is, how he’s explaining stuff to us, I feel prepared going into every game.”

During McDaniel’s four seasons calling plays, Miami’s offense stayed unpredictable and tough to solve. They finished sixth overall in 2022, then jumped to No. 1 in total offense and passing offense in 2023. Along the way, Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill exploded for career years, and Dolphins Nation watched playoff football in each of McDaniel’s first two seasons.

Before South Beach, McDaniel spent a season with the Niners as offensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan. Even earlier, he was part of a loaded Washington staff in 2011 and 2012 that included Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Shanahan. All four are now viewed as some of the league’s most creative thinkers.

Still, results matter. McDaniel closed his Miami run with a 35-33 record but no postseason wins, which ultimately led to the split. Even so, interest is real, but as an offensive coordinator, not a head coach.

The Los Angeles Chargers are interested in Mike McDaniel

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Los Angeles is set to interview Mike McDaniel as a possible replacement for Greg Roman. That alone says plenty. It has been a hectic stretch for McDaniel, and now the City of Angels is lining up to hear his vision.

Before that Chargers buzz even surfaced, McDaniel’s week was already packed. Following his exit from Miami, he started with head coaching interviews in Atlanta and Cleveland. Then, he pivoted quickly. On Tuesday, he met with the Lions about their offensive coordinator opening. After that, he stayed on the road with head coaching interviews in Tennessee on Wednesday and Baltimore on Thursday. He also found time to speak with Tampa Bay, turning his schedule into a nonstop tour.

As of now, nothing is locked in for the weekend. Still, Rapoport expects the Chargers interview to happen “early next week.”

When McDaniel arrived at the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa was searching for consistency. The offense jumped from the bottom tier to sixth in total yards and 11th in scoring in Year 1. By Year 2, the Fins led the league in total yards and finished second in scoring.

The Chargers, quietly, could be the team that benefits most from that offensive imagination. Los Angeles finished 11th in total offensive yards this season, productive but far from maximizing its ceiling. Now imagine what Mike McDaniel could unlock at SoFi Stadium. Pair his motion-heavy, mismatch-driven system with Justin Herbert’s arm talent, add a young, versatile back like Omarion Hampton, and this could be something.