A well-known head-coaching candidate simply popped up available on the market for the Cleveland Browns.
On Thursday, the Miami Dolphins fired HC Mike McDaniel, who went 35-33 in 4 seasons with the staff. After the announcement, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported the Browns are excited by hiring the offensive guru as their subsequent head coach. Cleveland fired former HC Kevin Stefanski after he went 5-12 in 2025.
McDaniel served because the Browns huge receivers coach through the 2014 season, alongside former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (now San Francisco 49ers HC). Regardless of his connections to the group, does that make him the suitable candidate for Cleveland?
Mike McDaniel is not an ideal candidate for Browns
McDaniel, 42, is among the prime play-callers within the NFL, as his offenses usually go away defensive coordinators perplexed.
“The offensive numbers and manufacturing communicate for themselves,” a defensive coach instructed The Athletic’s Mike Sando in a narrative revealed in November 2023. “He’s calling the offense, he’s designing the offense, he is creating the motions we’ve not seen within the NFL earlier than. They give the impression of being Canadian to us.”
That season, the Dolphins completed second within the NFL in factors scored (29.2), going 11-6 and making the playoffs. The scheme flourished due to McDaniel’s capability to maximise the abilities of offensive ability gamers, together with huge receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. He will not have weapons like these in Cleveland.
In 2025, the Browns ranked second-to-last within the league in passing yards (165.2) and factors scored (16.4). Tight finish Harold Fannin Jr., a 2025 third-round select of Bowling Inexperienced, led the staff in receiving yards (731, No. 41 within the NFL).
Extra importantly, Cleveland lacks a transparent reply at quarterback. The Browns began Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this season. Cleveland traded Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals after he tossed two landing passes and 6 interceptions in 4 video games.
Sanders, a 2025 fifth-round select of Colorado, led the staff in passing yards (1,400) however did not cement himself as the way forward for the franchise, tossing seven TD passes and 10 interceptions in eight video games.
The Browns (who personal the No. 6 choose within the 2026 NFL Draft) could also be out of vary to pick one of many prime QB prospects in a category skinny on the place. ESPN’s Matt Miller lists two QBs (Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore) on his 11 gamers with true first-round grades.
McDaniel went 15-19 in his final two seasons with Miami. That will make him the incorrect man for the Browns, who clearly have a much less gifted roster than the Dolphins.
