To say the Mike McDaniel experience has gone poorly would be an understatement. McDaniel has not revolutionized the LA Chargers' offense this season. Instead, the former Miami Dolphins head coach may have broken Justin Herbert.
McDaniel's scheme clearly doesn't fit with Herbert and it should lead to a breakup after one season. It would be better for all parties to find a better connection after the 2026 season, especially considering McDaniel wants another head coaching gig. That won't happen if he stays with the Chargers and continues to tank his stock.
As such, especially with the Chargers winless through five weeks, we are forced to look far ahead to the offseason. The Chargers probably won't fire McDaniel during the year, but the front office should start the search for his replacement now. Here are some early favorites that Chargers fans should keep tabs on.
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts HC
The best candidate to replace Mike McDaniel is another head coach who would have to get fired to join the Chargers' coaching staff. Yes, it's not quite working out with McDaniel after he was canned by the Miami Dolphins, but this is different.
Justin Herbert had to learn an entirely new offensive system with McDaniel. He wouldn't have to with Steichen. Steichen was the Chargers' offensive coordinator during Herbert's rookie season and left the team when Anthony Lynn was fired. After a brief stint as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator, Steichen became the head coach of the Colts.
Steichen is absolutely on the hot seat and with how things are going, his odds of sticking around in Indy don't seem great. That's not a representation of his offensive ability, though, as he has made chicken salad out of... you know what... while with the Colts.
Anything to get young Justin Herbert back.
John Morton, Denver Broncos offensive pass game coordinator
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos' offense isn't necessarily humming at the moment, but that's for reasons beyond John Morton's control. A power struggle between the head coach and offensive coordinator is certainly a factor, as is the quarterback play.
Morton would appear to be a risky hire for the Bolts, as his last stint as an offensive coordinator couldn't have gone worse. The Detroit Lions hired Morton to replace Ben Johnson and it only took until November 16 for him to lose play-calling duties. He was fired after the season.
But the numbers tell another story. The Lions averaged 31.4 points a game with Morton as the play-caller and averaged 24.8 points with Campbell calling the plays. It's unclear what went wrong in Detroit, but the numbers are on Morton's side.
It's also painful to admit, but Herbert played far better under Joe Lombardi than he has at any point since Harbaugh was hired. Morton comes from the same DNA, as he coached under Sean Payton both in Denver and New Orleans.
And to tie it all together, Morton coached under Harbaugh at the University of San Diego and the San Francisco 49ers.
Scott Tolzien, New Orleans Saints QBs coach
You may be noticing a trend. All of these candidates have some existing tie to an offense that Herbert previously operated within. As bad as the 2023 season was with Herbert's injuries, he was playing arguably the best ball of his entire career with Kellen Moore as his offensive coordinator.
Scott Tolzien comes straight from that coaching tree. Tolzien has served as the Saints' quarterbacks coach the last two seasons, and prior to that, he spent four years in the same role with the Dallas Cowboys under Moore and Mike McCarthy.
Not only can Tolzien bring a familiar offense back to Herbert, but he knows exactly what it takes for Herbert to be successful at the quarterback position. A former NFL quarterback himself, Tolzien might be able to speak a language Herbert is familiar with. Forget all the advanced schemes and motions that McDaniel tries to bring to the table; the Chargers just need someone who can connect with Herbert.
Perhaps Tolzien could be that guy.
Tanner Engstrand, Atlanta Falcons passing game coordinator
Tanner Engstrand is the one outlier. He does not come from a coaching tree that Herbert is familiar with, and he would be a dart throw for the Chargers. However, after being burned by an expensive offensive coordinator with an expensive head coach on the books, ownership may opt for the cheaper, unproven option.
Engstrand has NFL play-calling experience; it's just not the experience you want. He served as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator in 2025 and it went as poorly as you could imagine. While that lowered his stock, it's important context to remember what he was dealing with: Justin Fields.
Engstrand has recouped some of that value in Atlanta this year. It hasn't been perfect but the Falcons are far better than anyone gave them credit for, especially because of Michael Penix's play. He hasn't been perfect, but the offensive operations in Atlanta have been beyond solid.
It's also easy to fall in love with Engstrand's background. Prior to his stint with the Lions, Engstrand spent years under Ben Johnson on the Lions' coaching staff. Before that, Engstrand spent a year at Michigan with Harbaugh, as well as some time at the University of San Diego.
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