It likely won’t take Mike McDaniel long to find a new job.
An obvious offensive coordinator candidate for any team that needs one, McDaniel has already fielded some interest.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Lions have reached out to McDaniel about potentially becoming the club’s OC.
Detroit fired offensive coordinator John Morton earlier this week after the club missed the postseason. Head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling midway through the season, but the Lions were not as cohesive of an offensive unit throughout the year as they had been with now-Bears head coach Ben Johnson calling the plays.
Washington is another team with an offensive coordinator vacancy that is likely to reach out to McDaniel, given that McDaniel coached under Dan Quinn when he was head coach of the Falcons.
But there could be another role for McDaniel — head coach. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported earlier on Thursday that the Browns have interest in speaking with McDaniel about their vacancy.
Either way, it appears McDaniel will have some choices after he was fired by Miami on Thursday.
While Todd Bowles will remain Tampa Bay’s head coach in 2026, most of the coaching staff will be different.
In addition to moving on from the team’s offensive and special teams coordinator, the Buccaneers have dismissed more position coaches.
Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, defensive line coach Charlie Strong and defensive backs coach Kevin Ross have been fired.
Safeties coach Nick Rapone, who is 69, plans to retire.
Strong — the former Louisville, Texas, South Florida head coach — had joined the Bucs’ staff in 2025. Ross had been with the Bucs as cornerbacks coach since Bruce Arians took the head coaching job in 2019. Rapone had also been on the staff since 2019.
The Buccaneers are parting ways with another one of Todd Bowles’ coordinators.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Buccaneers have fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. They have also fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis on Thursday while offensive consultant Tom Moore announced his retirement. Other changes could be coming after the Bucs missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season.
McGaughey spent the last two seasons in Tampa. The Buccaneers had three field goals and two punts blocked during the 2025 season while ranking 30th in the league by allowing 28.2 yards per kickoff return.
McGaughey previously ran the special teams for the Giants, Panthers, 49ers, and Jets.
Tom Moore will not return to the Bucs as an offensive consultant in 2026 and he doesn’t plan on moving to another team to continue his long run as an NFL assistant coach.
Moore told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that he is retiring. Moore joined the Bucs in his current role in 2019 and he told Stroud that he is stepping away to help care for his wife after she suffered a recent stroke.
“It’s time for me to go home and take care of my wife,” Moore said. “For 62 years, she made a lot of sacrifices so I could live a dream and it’s always been about Tom but now it’s about Willie. “It’s time. I’ve been fortunate to land in a lot of great places. This is a great place. The Glazers are fantastic owners. It doesn’t get any better than Jason Licht as general manager. Todd [Bowles] is great . . . it’s a tough business. I’ve been blessed.”
Moore entered the NFL as the Steelers’ wide receivers coach in 1977 and he moved to their offensive coordinator role in 1983. He left the Steelers after the 1989 season and worked for the Vikings, Lions and Saints before becoming the Colts’ offensive coordinator in 1998. Moore became known for working closely with Peyton Manning during his time with the Colts and he remained in Indianapolis through 2010. He worked for the Jets, Titans and Cardinals before joining Tampa’s staff.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles says he’s staying in Tampa Bay for 2026. But he’s firing his key offensive assistants.
Josh Grizzard is out after one year as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. Also out is quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Grizzard had been the Buccaneers’ pass game coordinator in 2024 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2025, replacing Liam Coen, who left to become head coach of the Jaguars. Early in the 2025 season everything appeared to be operating smoothly, but the Bucs’ offense declined as the season went on, and Bowles has decided to make a change.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is heading into the final season of his contract, and if Bowles can’t turn things around it could be his final year in Tampa Bay as well. Bowles finding a play caller who can get the most out of Mayfield is his top priority right now.
