The focus for the Philadelphia Eagles after a frustrating playoff flameout is how to solve the offensive woes that haunted a once-explosive unit. An obvious answer is bringing in a proven play caller who is one of the former head coaches fired this last cycle.
This appears to be Philadelphia's plan, following reporting by The Athletic's Dianna Russini, shared by Underdog NFL. "Russini: Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll are at the top of Eagles' list for OC vacancy." This doesn't come as a surprise, but does point to an uphill battle if the Eagles hope to land the services of McDaniel.
Already, the former Miami Dolphins head coach has had an in-person interview with the Detroit Lions and has another upcoming interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This paints a clear picture that Philly will face stiff competition to land the experienced OC. Added to this is the fact that McDaniel is garnering head coach interest as well, interviewing with the Tennessee Titans for their open position, as well as the Atlanta Falcons.
It isn't impossible to believe the coach doesn't have the inside track to another landing spot, given how behind Philadelphia is. The Eagles were not only a playoff team that, for some reason, wasn't concerned with coaching replacements, but were slow to force Kevin Patullo out of the offensive coordinator position. The combination of these factors creates an uphill battle for the Eagles to make what would be the perfect hire.
Eagles Made Chase of McDaniel Harder Delaying Obvious OC Decision
There is a chance that McDaniel is already falling in love with one of his current options, and Philadelphia has been too slow. It also must be pointed out that A.J. Brown's never-ending drama and Dallas Goedert's upcoming free agency could push the Eagles behind the Lions, if McDaniel does opt to take an OC position. Philly has had no shortage of drama and has two important weapons whose futures are uncertain.
However, the natural counter to this is pointing out McDaniel's extensive experience dealing with diva receivers, having spent his time in Miami dealing with Tyreek Hill. This perhaps makes the Eagles a bit more palpable, as well as the incredible offensive line talent and the chance to work with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley.
No matter how it plays out, there is no denying that the Eagles made it harder than it needed to be on themselves by not making a quicker decision on Patullo. This is a familiar refrain that defined Philadelphia's 2025 season and has left fans stuck sitting back, hoping that Nick Sirianni makes the right decision. A decision that would be viewed as an unquestioned win if the Eagles can find a way to bring McDaniel to Philadelphia.