The LA Chargers landed their dream offensive coordinator in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. Now, the Chargers have the perfect coach to hire under McDaniel to potentially take over the reins if McDaniel ever leaves.
The New York Jets fired offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday after one year with the team. Just like with McDaniel, the Chargers now have the opportunity to bolster the coaching staff with someone who didn't work out in the AFC East.
New York's tumultuous 2025 season and horrific offensive display may shine a poor light on Engstrand on the surface. However, he's the perfect option to bring in under McDaniel and now is the perfect time to bring him in with his stock being as low as it will get.
Chargers should hire Tanner Engstrand to Mike McDaniel's offensive staff
Engstrand followed Aaron Glenn to the Jets from the Detroit Lions, which makes him intriguing in the first place. Engstrand directly coached under Ben Johnson, who is one of the best offensive coaches in football and was in the running for the Chargers' head coaching job before Jim Harbaugh got it.
It may not have worked out in New York, but there are very few offensive coordinators who could have salvaged an offense with Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook. The Jets have their reasons for moving on from Engstrand, but one bad year on the NFL's most dysfunctional franchise shouldn't tank his value.
Engstrand has legitimate potential to blossom into someone more impactful, especially if he coached under both Johnson and McDaniel. That is exactly how the Chargers can groom the next offensive coordinator to take over for McDaniel if he gets another head coaching chance.
Plus, Engstrand has deeper connections to Harbaugh and the Chargers. On top of being a San Diego native, Engstrand spent the 2018 season an offensive analyst for Michigan. Before that, he was a graduate assistant under Harbaugh at USD in 2005 before Harbaugh left for Stanford.
Engstrand was the passing game coordinator for the Lions prior to taking the Jets' job, a role that is currently filled by Marcus Brady in LA. The Chargers do need an offensive line coach, but Engstrand's experience comes more with quarterbacks than the offensive line.
There isn't a perfect fit right now for Engstrand, but the Chargers can make it work regardless. The team could either create a position for him or move on from an existing coach to give him an opportunity. Either way, the lack of a concrete opening for Engstrand shouldn't stop the Bolts from pursuing him.
After all, McDaniel didn't rule out the possibility of more offensive coaching staff changes during his presser on Tuesday. With Engstrand now available, McDaniel and Harbaugh may be even more motivated to accelerate some changes.