If you thought the Detroit Lions passed over former Dolphins coach Mike McDonald because he was sure to get a head coaching job, you may want to sit down for this one. On Tuesday night, several reports leaked that McDaniel was closing in on becoming the Los Angeles Chargers’ next offensive coordinator. The deal is not completely done—and there is still a chance a head coaching job sweeps him off his feet—but McDaniel has reportedly told other teams that he is no longer interested in their positions and the Chargers have informed other candidates that they’re moving forward with McDaniel.
On one hand, if you were a fan of McDaniel, this could be interpreted as good news. Reportedly, the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were both very interested in pursuing McDaniel. The fact that he’s, instead, going to the AFC is a far better outcome for the Lions than had he gone to one of those two NFC contenders.
On the other hand, if you thought the Lions were wasting their time with McDaniel because he was sure to land one of the many vacant head coach positions, this proves he was willing to take a good coordinator job if the opportunity was ideal. It’s unclear where the Lions’ job ranked in McDaniel’s preferences, but according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, it was the Lions who didn’t want McDaniel.
“Of coordinator jobs that Mike McDaniel has interviewed for, the Lions gig was the least likely to materialize,” Darlington tweeted on Monday. “Campbell liked McDaniel a lot, but Lions didn’t view it as quite the right fit for them.”
Regardless, Lions fans need not look over their shoulder. Detroit has reportedly chosen former Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing as their next play-caller. Only time will tell if that was the right decision or if the Lions missed an opportunity here.
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