PFT: Bolts may replace McDaniel with Gase ‘soon’

Harbaugh is standing by the organization’s biggest offseason hire. The Chargers at least got a little passing production going today, though obviously the results continue to fall short of expectations. The Chargers, now 0-6, face the Texans, 2-5, in Week 9. Houston’s underperforming defense could give the Chargers a chance to improve their standing next week.

McDaniel gets the bye week to recalibrate after six weeks of disgraceful football from his unit, but it’s clear McDaniel’s leash is incredibly short. PFT’s Mike Florio reported a week ago that the Chargers could ultimately replace McDaniel with Adam Gase, who currently holds the title of pass game specialist. They currently rank dead last in points and 28th in yards. If the results are no different versus the Rams this week, McDaniel may be out of a job by Monday.

Harbaugh made clear that his team has to “address everything,” especially the offense, and acknowledged that the Chargers aren’t scoring enough points. He added that the plan is to watch today’s game tape and “get with our offensive coaches” to figure things out. Although McDaniel could end up losing play-calling duties, Harbaugh owned the team’s offensive woes, saying it “starts” with him.

When asked if he had any plans of intervening, Harbaugh offered his endorsement of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, saying, “No. We trust Mike. We believe in Mike.” The 0-3 Chargers have struggled mightily out of the gate to start the season, failing to score more than 16 points in a game while also turning the ball over six times. Even in a game where the Chargers forced five turnovers off of Josh Allen and the Bills and registered four sacks, they were unable to capitalize on multiple opportunities to take the lead in the 24-16 defeat. We’ll see how long Harbaugh can go continuing to let McDaniel run the show, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the team decided to make a change if things continue in this direction.

McCaffrey is a former undrafted free agent NFL wide receiver who spent time with five different NFL teams. He joined the college coaching ranks as a wide receivers coach at Northern Colorado in 2020. He added offensive coordinator to his title in 2021 and held both roles for two seasons. McCaffrey joined the NFL coaching ranks as a member of former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s coaching staff in 2023, serving as an offensive assistant through the 2025 season. McCaffrey’s new role reunites him with McDaniel, who was hired as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in January. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey are Max’s younger brothers.

Cool. Gase took a five-year hiatus from coaching after a failed two-year stint with the Jets (2019 to 2020), which came after a failed head coaching stint with the Dolphins (2016 to 2018). The 47-year-old coach will now get a chance to work with Justin Herbert in his new role, in hopes of rebuilding his image. It’s hard to imagine Gase ever getting another head coaching job, but it will be interesting to see if he can again rise through the ranks after one of the more forgettable five-year stretches for any coach.

Gase has not coached since his 2019-2020 run as the Jets’ head coach. He served as the Dolphins’ head coach before that, from 2016-2018. The Chargers swapped out former OC Greg Roman for new OC Mike McDaniel this offseason, and are evidently not done adding new offensive staffers.

McDaniel continued to entertain head coaching offers even after it was rumored he would join the Chargers. Now, after much deliberation, McDaniel is officially joining the Chargers to pair with Justin Herbert and company. McDaniel’s offense finished 11th or better in points scored in two of his four seasons with the Dolphins, but his final two seasons proved forgettable as Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations became apparent and defenses took advantage. McDaniel gets a top-flight QB and talent young playmakers in Ladd McConkey and Omarion Hampton to help guide his offense into 2026. All will make for enticing fantasy picks, and Herbert should enjoy a bounce back if his offensive line can stay healthy.

According to Rapoport, McDaniel is ultimately expected to take the Chargers’ offensive coordinator role, but until the Raiders officially rule him out as a candidate, he will remain an option for the Silver and Black. McDaniel most recently canceled his interview with the Bills on Friday and withdrew his name for consideration for the Browns before that. McDaniel has made several rounds this coaching cycle to speak with teams, but the Chargers seem like the most likely fit barring a team sweeping in to hand him a head coaching gig.

While the Bills are just beginning their search for a new head coach after dismissing Sean McDermott earlier this week, McDaniel has already withdrawn his name from the Browns head coaching search and interviewed for multiple offensive coordinator positions before agreeing to sign on with the Chargers. Schultz says McDaniel and the Bills remain in contact for a potential interview, but there’s a “strong possibility” he moves forward with the Chargers. McDaniel’s presence in Los Angeles would be massive as fantasy managers could expect the 42-year-old coach to get the most out of Justin Herbert and the rest of the Chargers’ offense.