Could Mike McDaniel bring offensive creativity back to Tampa Bay?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ search for a new offensive coordinator continues to draw attention around the league, including interest in former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel, who was let go by Miami following a 7–10 finish in 2025, has emerged as a potential candidate as teams reshuffle their offensive staffs. His availability immediately puts a creative offensive mind on the market, one with a track record of innovation and adaptability.

During the 2025 season, Miami’s offense finished with just over 5,100 total yards and averaged roughly 20 points per game. The unit struggled to find consistency, ranking in the bottom third of the league in scoring and falling outside the top tier in overall offensive production. Those struggles, particularly in sustaining drives and finishing in the red zone, played a role in the organization’s decision to move in a different direction.

Even so, McDaniel’s offensive identity remained clear. Miami continued to rely heavily on motion, spacing, and timing-based concepts designed to create favorable matchups and simplify reads for the quarterback, something the Bucs could utilize with weapons such as Tez Johnson and Bucky Irving, who thrive in space.

While execution and injuries impacted the results in 2025, the framework of the offense still reflected a modern, quarterback-friendly approach. Some of the struggles Miami faced arose with key injuries, such as Tyreek Hill missing nearly the entire season with a knee dislocation, as well inconsistent QB play by Tua Tagovailoa that ultimately resulted in him being benched for rookie Quinn Ewers.

For Tampa Bay, interviewing McDaniel would offer an opportunity to tap into that offensive creativity without the added responsibilities that come with a head coaching role, while also providing an opportunity to return to being a head coach in Tampa Bay as an heir apparent to Todd Bowles.

This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Could Mike McDaniel bring offensive creativity back to Tampa Bay?