The Pittsburgh Steelers had a terrific beatdown of the Dolphins on Monday night, and in doing so, it has kept their playoff hopes alive. As for Miami, a loss ended their season, as they were officially eliminated from postseason play.
This loss also feels like the final nail in the coffin for Mike McDaniel. Once an upshot and ascending coach, McDaniel has seen his Dolphins team spiral. There is a very real chance that he is looking for a new job next offseason.
If Pittsburgh was smart, they wouldn’t let McDaniel leave Pittsburgh.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: McDaniel may have struggled as a head coach, but as an offensive mind, there is a lot to like there. He could be a great candidate to replace Arthur Smith in 2026.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could use Mike McDaniel on offense
While time will tell what happens during the coaching cycle, the one thing we know is that this class of assistant and college options is weak. There isn’t a can’t-miss candidate like Ben Johnson last year.
This means that there will be a few surprises during the hiring phase, and teams will likely look toward experience over youth when making their final choices.
Smith got head coaching looks just last year. Despite some ups and downs this year, I would say his offense is exceeding expectations. I think he is a sneaky favorite to land another head coaching job next year.
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Losing him will be a blow. A rookie quarterback seems destined to join the Steelers, so having some stability in that room would have been helpful.
Assuming Smith is gone, you need to find an offensive mind that is friendly with quarterbacks. McDaniel is just that. He has gotten the most out of his quarterback rooms when coaching. He even made Tua Tagovailoa a potential MVP early on in his tenure in Miami.
While I doubt McDaniel’s ability to lead a full team, he can scheme up a winning offensive formula that is easy for quarterbacks to pick up. That is just what a rookie quarterback needs.
Though keeping Smith around would be the preference, that may not be an option if he gets a head coaching gig. If he does depart, the Steelers just saw who their perfect replacement could be. They should keep McDaniel on a short list of options ahead of the 2026 offseason.