The Chargers’ 0-5 start has already pushed them into uncomfortable territory, and ESPN’s Ian Rapoport says the most dramatic change still isn’t expected right now. His read is that Jim Harbaugh is safe for the moment, with internal belief that the staff can still dig out of the hole.
But if the losses keep piling up, Rapoport says the conversation changes fast. At that point, the Chargers would have to consider bigger moves, and one possibility already sitting on the roster is longtime NFL assistant Adam Gase as an interim play-caller if the team decides to move on from OC Mike McDaniel.
That would be a jarring turn for a team that entered the season with high expectations. Going from McDaniel to Gase would say plenty about how far things have fallen if the slide continues.
Gase, 48, joined the Chargers this offseason after spending five years out of the NFL following his firing as Jets head coach. Before that, he had already built a long résumé as an offensive voice and play-caller.
His coaching path started in 2003 with the Lions, where he worked as a scouting assistant. He stayed in Detroit for five seasons before moving to the 49ers in 2008.
From there, the Broncos brought him in as their wide receivers coach, and he eventually climbed to offensive coordinator before their staff was overhauled in 2015. He spent one year with the Bears, then got his first head-coaching shot with the Dolphins in 2016.
Miami fired Gase after the 2018 season, and he quickly landed with the Jets. That run ended after two seasons, and his time in New York finished with a 9-23 record and no playoff trips.
McDaniel, 42, has taken a different route through the league. He got his start in 2005 as a Broncos intern, then worked as an offensive assistant and receivers coach for Houston, Washington, Cleveland, and Atlanta from 2006 through 2016. He joined the 49ers as run game coordinator in 2017, held that post through 2020, and served as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator in 2021.
The Dolphins hired McDaniel in 2022 and gave him a four-year deal. Miami eventually fired him after the 2025 season, and the Chargers brought him in as offensive coordinator before the 2026 season.
In Miami, McDaniel went 35-33 over four seasons, with two playoff appearances. In Los Angeles this year, though, the offense has not clicked. The Chargers are No. 30 in scoring offense and No. 25 in total offense, with a No. 30 ranking in passing and No. 9 in rushing.
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Dolphins Got Involved After One Young Fan's Tough Game Day Loss
Eight-year-old Bobby Barrow had a memorable day at a Miami Dolphins game, spending time with his cousin and building a game-day collection of autographs and memorabilia. What should have been the happy end to that trip turned into a frustrating loss after one of the keepsakes from the outing went missing, leaving the family believing it had been stolen.
The episode quickly drew attention online after Bobbys mom posted about it, and another Dolphins fan helped spread the word on X. Miami then reached out to assist the family, a small but welcome response after a rough finish to what had started as a special experience for a young fan. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Bye Week Just Raised Fresh Concerns Before Final 10-Game Stretch
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Jordyn Brooks was not out there after the foot injury he suffered in that Bengals game, and Malik Willis also was not seen throwing during the session, adding a little more uncertainty to a week that should have been quiet. The expectation is for the rest of the bye to stay low-key as the Dolphins try to get healthier before the final 10 games, but these are the kind of absences that tend to linger in the background until practice ramps back up. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Bye Week Moves Show How Urgent This Roster Search Has Become
A quiet bye week turned into a roster churn for Miami, which moved to take another look at its depth by waiving wide receiver Ryan Miller and making a waiver claim for Jared Wayne. The team also held tryouts for several players as it keeps searching for ways to tighten up the roster before the next stretch of games.
Jordan Jeffersons arrival on the practice squad, along with the release of Mazi Smith, added another layer to the shuffle. For a team using its off week to sift through every available option, the moves underscored how urgent the search has become as Miami tries to find help wherever it can. [Read more 🡒]