When the Philadelphia Eagles removed Kevin Patullo from the offensive coordinator role, fans were pleased and hoped that the team would set its sights on Mike McDaniel to be the next OC. McDaniel, who was fired earlier this month by the Miami Dolphins, immediately became one of the top head coaching and offensive coordinator options across the league.
The Eagles reportedly had him as one of their top options. However, Philly's dream quickly fizzled as he joined the Los Angeles Chargers as their offensive coordinator. With McDaniel out of the picture, the Eagles took their shot at Dolphins Sr. pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik, but he was retained by Miami and promoted to OC.
Despite not landing McDaniel or Slowik, the Eagles aren’t ready to throw in the towel yet, as they have their eyes on another member of McDaniel’s staff. On Monday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Eagles interviewed Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith for their vacancy.
Rapoport adds that Smith “was a key lieutenant to Mike McDaniel,” while fellow NFL insider Tom Pelissero said that Smith was voted the league’s top OC in a 2023 NFLPA player survey.
Eagles Interview Another Member of Mike McDaniel’s Staff for OC Job
After seeing how the 2025 season unfolded for the Eagles and Patullo, it's reassuring to see them casting a wide net to find the best fit for this offense in 2026.
That said, it’s clear that the Eagles’ brass has an infatuation with McDaniel’s staff and scheme, as Miami has been one of the better rushing teams recently. This season, Miami was ranked 13th in rushing, averaging 120.2 yards per game.
The Dolphins struggled to run the ball in 2024, as they averaged 105.6 yards per game (21st in the league). However, during Smith’s second year at OC, the Dolphins were unstoppable on the ground, averaging 135.8 yards per game (sixth in 2023). But his first year at OC, Miami only had 99.2 rushing yards per game (26th).
At the same time, during Smith’s first two years as offensive coordinator, Miami was ranked within the top-10 in total yards and top-11 in points.
Before he got the OC job in Miami, Smith spent the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Chargers as their run game coordinator and offensive line coach. He was also a tight ends coach with the Chicago Bears (2015-17) and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018-2020).
Unlike Slowik and McDaniel, who have playcalling experience, Smith doesn’t have that on his resume, which could give fans some pause, as Patullo didn’t have that either, and we saw how that worked out.
However, Smith's experience with run game planning and knowledge of McDaniel’s scheme could make him one of the better candidates for Philadelphia as this process continues to play out.