Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will interview for the Bills’ head-coaching job. Unless he won’t.
Per multiple reports, McDaniel canceled Friday’s interview with Buffalo, which is seeking a replacement for nine-year head coach Sean McDermott.
Given McDaniel’s propensity for verbosity, and Wednesday’s never-ending press conference featuring Bills owner Terry Pegula and G.M. Brandon Beane, maybe it’s a good thing. Once the three of them started talking, who knows when they would have stopped?
McDaniel recently opted not to go through with a second interview for the Browns’ head-coaching job. It was later reported that the Chargers plan to make him their new offensive coordinator.
Why would McDaniel not go through with a head-coaching interview? Such situations are both rare and ripe for all sorts of speculation. If it’s as simple as he doesn’t view a given job as an ideal spot for his next shot (which could be his last one) at a team of his own, it’s one thing to pass on the perennially dysfunctional Browns. But the Bills? With Josh Allen?
Maybe, after digesting Wednesday’s press conference and the widespread reaction to it, McDaniel realizes it’s a no-win situation, since the primary expectation will be to win enough games to get to the postseason — and to win more than one game once he gets there.
In Cleveland, there’s nowhere to go but up, but there’s no clear reason to think an ascension will happen under current ownership. In Buffalo, there’s nowhere to go but down, and there’s every reason to think that will happen under current ownership.
Again, dysfunction flows from the top. McDaniel already worked for one of those teams. For his next head-coaching job, it becomes critical to find a stable organization in which the owner stays out of the way (i.e., not Cleveland) and doesn’t make rushed, illogical decisions in the heat of the moment (i.e., not Buffalo).
The Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new General Manager this month and they’re set to make another addition to the top of their personnel department.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the team will hire Kyle Smith as their assistant GM.
Smith held the same role with the Falcons during the last three seasons, but the Falcons overhauled their organization by firing head coach Raheem Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot at the end of the regular season. Smith joined the Falcons in 2021 as their vice president of player personnel and he worked for Washington for 11 years before moving on to Atlanta.
The Dolphins have hired head coach Jeff Hafley in recent days as well and the new faces will try to point the Dolphins in a winning direction over the coming seasons.
The Dolphins have filled one key spot on new head coach Jeff Hafley’s first coaching staff.
According to multiple reports, the Dolphins are set to hire Chris Tabor as their special teams coordinator. Tabor filled that role on the Bills’ staff during the 2025 season.
Tabor has also served as the special teams coordinator for the Panthers, Bears and Browns. After Frank Reich was fired as the Panthers’ head coach during the 2023 season, Tabor finished out the year as the team’s interim head coach. He was also served as the head coach for one game with the Bears when Matt Nagy was absent due to COVID protocols. The teams were 1-6 in those games.
Miami will now move on with searches for their offensive and defensive coordinators.
The Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator added another interview to the list.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that they have interviewed former Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as they look for Kevin Patullo’s successor. Slowik spent the 2025 season as the senior passing game coordinator with the Dolphins.
Slowik ran the offense in Houston in 2023 and 2024. His first season went well enough that C.J. Stroud was the offensive rookie of the year and Slowik earned head coaching interviews, but 2024 was less productive and Slowik was fired.
Former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are among the other names that have been linked to the Eagles since they fired Kevin Patullo earlier this month.
The list of teams still looking for new head coaches is growing shorter and two clubs still on it will be speaking to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver over the next couple of days.
Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com reports that Weaver is having an in-person interview with the Steelers on Friday. It is Weaver’s second interview with the AFC North team.
Per multiple reports, Weaver will then move on to an interview with the Bills on Saturday. It will be his first meeting with Buffalo.
The Steelers could stop that meeting from happening if they decide that Weaver is their choice for the job, although that would mean passing on the chance to meet with Rams assistants Nate Scheelhaase and Chris Shula a second time. Both coaches are barred from interviewing until after the Rams play in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
