Rumors are starting to swirl as the LA Chargers put together the rest of the 2026 staff under two new coordinators. While some names are legitimately concerning, the Chargers are also tied to exciting names as well.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has already hired Butch Barry to join him from Miami and may be on the precipice of bringing in another former Dolphins staffer as well. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, it's considered a strong possibility that the Chargers hire Dolphins assistant Max McCaffrey as running backs coach.
For those who are wondering: yes, it's the same McCaffrey family tree. Max is Christian McCaffrey's older brother. The former receiver bounced around various practices squads from 2016 through 2018, appearing in six total games with one NFL reception to his name.
Max McCaffrey could legitimately be on an offensive coordinator track with the Chargers
It's no secret in Los Angeles that McDaniel won't be with the Chargers for very long. He has admitted that the end goal is still to win a Super Bowl as a head coach. One year of coaching Justin Herbert will make him one of the hottest head coaching names next offseason.
With this reality staring the Chargers in the face, it's imperative that the team starts laying the foundation to replace McDaniel. Ideally, it would come from McDaniel's tree so Herbert doesn't have to learn yet another new offense next season.
McCaffrey is the first rumored hire for the Chargers that makes sense along this trajectory. He is rather young and unproven, but the seeds are planted for him to be a play-caller at the NFL level.
McCaffrey spent the last three seasons coaching under McDaniel getting valuable insight into one of the most explosive offenses in the leauge. Prior to that, McCaffrey actually played for the San Francisco 49ers, while McDaniel was on the staff. Between his own experiences and his brother's current role, if there's anyone who knows this Shanahan-style offense, it's McCaffrey.
Jim Harbaugh values coordinators with previous play-calling experience and McCaffrey even has that. Prior to joining the Dolphins, McCaffrey spent two seasons as Northern Colorado's offensive coordinator. It may not be NFL play-calling experience, but as DC Chris O'Leary proved, it doesn't have to be.
The two-year tenure, where McCaffrey coached under his dad, wasn't very successful for Northern Colorado. However, it still gave him valuable play-calling experience that will help his future NFL trajectory.
Of course, the biggest factor here is how well he does on the Chargers' staff, if hired, and if he can gain Harbaugh's trust. If he does, McCaffrey very well could be the guy who replaces McDaniel when he inevitably leaves for a head coaching job.
And hey, who knows, maybe that will convince his brother to come to Los Angeles on a team-friendly deal.