The Chargers have their offensive playcaller. And he's among the best of the best.
The team officially named Mike McDaniel as the team's new Offensive Coordinator on Monday, bringing in one of the top offensive minds in the league to Southern California.
Not only was it one of the top coordinator hires of the offseason — pundits believe it was one of the best overall hires in general.
Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab had high marks for the Chargers hiring McDaniel, giving the move an ‘A grade’, the highest he gave for any coordinator addition so far.
He believes pairing McDaniel's elite offensive mind with Justin Herbert and the number of difference makers on the Bolts offense could create fireworks going forward.
Schwab wrote:
The Chargers might be a force on offense next season. The talent is there, though last season players like Ladd McConkey seemed to have been forgotten. McDaniel should bring everything together. He got head-coaching interest and was the hottest offensive coordinator candidate on the market, too. The opportunity to take Justin Herbert to the next level must have been enticing. Assuming the offensive line gets fixed starting with more health next season, McDaniel's play-calling might lead to the Chargers having a top-five offense.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. Take a look at the best photos of McDaniel through the years.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have named Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
McDaniel helped lead the Dolphins to No. 8 in the NFL in both passing offense and total offense over his four-year tenure as the head coach of the Dolphins, including a 2023 season where they held the NFL's top offense in multiple categories.
He's also had proven track record of evolving new things on offense and getting his best playmakers the ball, whether that be through the air or on the ground.
It's why CBS Sports' Jared Dubin said the Chargers are one of the winners of the coaching cycle for their home run hire.
Dubin wrote:
He is one of the best in the NFL at putting players in position to succeed, specifically by getting playmakers the ball in space so they can make things happen after the catch. He also excels at designing a run game. The Chargers have struggled to run the ball for a while, and McDaniel should be able to alleviate that.
McDaniel can build an offense around a quarterback with significantly more physical talent… it's hard to believe the Chargers could have done a better job finding their next OC.
