Browns can't afford to let Mike McDaniel leave their building

On New Year's Eve, a seemingly premature, and thus irrelevant, report appeared out of thin air. The Browns were in the midst of preparations for their final game against the Bengals, and — at least as far as the public knew — Kevin Stefanski was still fighting for his job.

It made little sense to many when ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Browns would have interest in (at the time) Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, should the Dolphins and Browns make head-coaching changes. I'm sure the same would apply to Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Mike Vrabel, but the fact that they're not available makes it a moot point.

Fast forward to January 8, and the Dolphins ultimately decided to hand McDaniel his walking papers nearly four days after coaching his final game — an oddity by NFL standards. By that point, the Browns had already made the not-so-tough decision to relieve Kevin Stefanski of his duties, making it possible for both parties to communicate — as Fowler telegraphed.

In the immediate aftermath of his firing, Cleveland.com reported that the Browns had significant interest in speaking to McDaniel, a familiar face who spent time in Cleveland back in 2014 under then-head coach Mike Pettine. Then, while many NFL fans were watching the Patriots suffocate the Chargers in their wild-card matchup, news broke that McDaniel would be meeting with Cleveland brass on Monday, January 12.

So, what does this all mean? The affinity for Mike McDaniel in Berea is real, and it's tangible.

While some fans have become averse to retread hires in the NFL, the reality is that Mike McDaniel would be an A-plus hire if the Browns manage to keep him away from all the other teams interested in his services. In addition to the Browns, the Falcons, Titans, and division-rival Ravens have all made plans to meet with the offensive mastermind. Furthermore, it has been reported that the Lions have scheduled an interview with McDaniel for their offensive coordinator position.

The Browns could tap into the NFL’s most dominant coaching tree

Why should the Browns be interested in McDaniel, you might ask? For one, his offense comes from the very same tree that is presently running roughshod through the NFL playoffs. Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Klint Kubiak — all of these coaches come from the same coaching tree that has borne offensive genius.

In four seasons with the Dolphins, McDaniel was able to accumulate a 35–33 record. That may not seem all that impressive, but he accomplished this with a quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who was physically limited and consistently injured. To coax a No. 2-ranked offense out of a passer like that is a miracle in and of itself.

Despite his limitations, Tagovailoa saw a huge regression this season that made him borderline unplayable. The former Alabama star saw a noticeable drop in arm strength, had no rushing ability to speak of, and developed a penchant for turnovers that reached a fever pitch in 2025. McDaniel can coach offensive ball, but he couldn't make this year's Dolphins team magically more talented. As a reminder, the general manager responsible for putting the team together, Chris Grier, was also fired.

The offensive chops are undeniable. Some have wondered aloud whether McDaniel's players-coach personality could work in the NFL. Funny, though, how few questioned it when the Dolphins were dropping 70 points on the Broncos or breaking passing yardage records early in his tenure. The moral of the story: As long as you're winning, anything goes.

The final claim against Mike McDaniel that gets a lot of airtime from talking heads is the Dolphins' inability to win games in the cold. In a city like Cleveland, that would obviously be a major concern. Regardless of the fact that McDaniel himself doesn't put on a helmet and pads to play, the reality is that when the elements come into play, a strong-armed quarterback makes all the difference.

McDaniel never had that in Miami. While quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen — and more recently Caleb Williams and Drake Maye — have been able to thrive in their cold-weather environments, the tape doesn't lie. These quarterbacks have the ability to rip the ball through the icy air without missing a beat.

If the Browns are able to pair McDaniel's offensive acumen with a strong-armed, modern-day quarterback, the league should be on watch. The Browns have the opportunity to make a franchise-defining decision.

Yes, their history gives little reason for optimism, but this hire could be the one to spark a monumental shift for Cleveland Browns football.