You’re not going to believe which former Dolphins coach could be teaming up with Mike McDaniel in 2026

Needless to say, we need the Chargers on Hard Knocks.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Feb 7, 2026 1:48 PM EST

The Miami Dolphins fanbase is already going to be side-eyeing the Los Angeles Chargers this season. Former head coach Mike McDaniel is the new offensive coordinator.

Yet the Chargers staff could be of even more interest to Dolphins fans if a new, almost unbelievable report comes to life. Because Mike McDaniel, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, may not be the only former Dolphins head coach on the offensive staff in LA this season. The Chargers are reportedly eyeing Adam Gase for a role on the squad, working alongside McDaniel, too.

Chargers reportedly eyeing former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase to join forces with Mike McDaniel in 2026

Zenitz has been at the forefront of several assistant hires throughout this year’s coaching carousel. He was, as a matter of fact, the first to report that Nathaniel Hackett may not be taking the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach job in favor of the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator position. That report indeed came true. If this one does? Woo buddy.

Just imagine: former Miami Dolphins head coaches Mike McDaniel and Adam Gase joining forces in 2026 to try to help Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert get over the hump in the postseason. Gase, for the record, has been out of coaching for the past half-decade after the New York Jets cut him loose from his head coaching post after the 2020 season.

If Zenitz’s report comes to life, we could see exactly that. And, heaven forbid it works, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross would almost certainly blow a gasket to watch his once prized target as a head coach pool two of Ross’s maligned selections at head coach together on the same assistant staff to deliver success to the quarterback Miami bypassed in order to select their maligned quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. You couldn’t script a more demoralizing turn of events if you tried. It will be fascinating to watch play out if the Chargers do, indeed, make the hire. I’m kind of pulling for it to come true for the sake of the “content” — but then again I’m kind of not. Just it case it goes better than I’d guess it will.

Miami Dolphins News

It’s time to properly calibrate expectations for the Dolphins’ timeline to a resolution of the Tua Tagovailoa situation

Let’s set our expectations accordingly.

Kyle Crabbs