The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris after a second consecutive 8-9 season and are ramping up the search for their 20th head coach in franchise history. Although there are multiple names on the table, it was the former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel who was the latest to come through the door.

Mike McDaniel has officially completed an interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

There have been quite a few changes in Atlanta’s building. Alongside Raheem Morris, GM Terry Fontenot was also fired. And on Saturday, former quarterback Matt Ryan was appointed as the President of Football. He’s heavily involved in the interviews and in the search for the new HC, and McDaniel’s hiring might end up being his first move as the president.

McDaniel suffered the same fate as Morris after the Dolphins finished the 2025 NFL season with a 7-10 record. He went 35–33 overall and guided the Dolphins to the playoffs twice, even if January success never followed.

Playoff wins never came, but McDaniel’s reputation around the league didn’t take much of a hit. He’s still viewed as one of the sharper offensive minds in football, especially after overseeing an offense that finished No. 1 in total yards and passing yards per game in 2023. For a Falcons team loaded with young offensive talent, that’s a solid resume.

McDaniel’s path through the league has been anything but linear. He broke in as an intern with the Broncos in 2015, then worked stops with the Texans, Commanders, Browns, and yes, even the Falcons. He was part of Atlanta’s offensive staff from 2015 to 16, including the season that ended with a Super Bowl appearance.

Before taking the Miami job, McDaniel spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, rising from run-game coordinator to offensive coordinator in 2021. In Miami, he led the Dolphins to consecutive playoff berths in 2022 and 2023, something the franchise hadn’t managed in more than two decades.

On paper, the fit makes sense. Atlanta was talked up last offseason as a team ready to explode offensively, but it never really materialized. A coach like McDaniel, with his scheme flexibility and attention to detail, could help unlock what’s already there. He can work pretty well with a young core in Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts.

Of course, he’s just one option. The Falcons have already sat down with Klint Kubiak, Aden Durde, Kevin Stefanski, and former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. Some big names on there, but it’s not like McDaniel doesn’t have backups.

Two more teams have McDaniel on their radar

The Cleveland Browns fired their HC, Kevin Stefanski, after a disaster of a season. They finished 5-12 and shuffled through quarterbacks all season long, with DE Myles Garrett being the lone positive of the season. The Browns completed their sixth interview for the HC position, and the candidate was Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel isn’t new to Berea. He spent the 2014 season on the Browns’ staff as wide receivers coach, and that year still stands out when you look back. Veteran wideout Andrew Hawkins put together a career-high 824 receiving yards, while the then-undrafted rookie Taylor Gabriel chipped in 621 yards, the second-best total of his six-year NFL career.

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That season also marked the only time quarterback Brian Hoyer ever cracked the 3,000-yard passing mark. So when the Browns look at McDaniel, they’re not projecting blindly. They’ve seen what his influence can look like inside their own building.

Cleveland isn’t short on options, though. The team has already interviewed Tommy Rees, Jim Schwartz, Dan Pitcher, Aden Durde, and Todd Monken. But yes, McDaniel’s resume should be good enough to snatch the job.

And Cleveland might not be his only path forward. If a head coaching job doesn’t materialize, the Detroit Lions are also keeping tabs on McDaniel, not as a head coach, but as a potential offensive coordinator. According to insider Tom Pelissero, Detroit is expected to interview McDaniel this week for its vacant OC role.

That opening exists because head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from John Morton in Week 10 and never handed them back. Morton was let go after the Lions failed to reach the playoffs following back-to-back division titles.

Detroit has cast a wide net as well, with David Blough, Jake Peetz, and Tee Martin also in the conversation. Still, if McDaniel doesn’t land a head coaching job this cycle, it’s hard to imagine his experience not earning him a prominent offensive role somewhere.