Another potential John Harbaugh suitor has entered the sweepstakes.
The Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday, making them the eighth NFL team with a head coach vacancy.
The offense-minded McDaniel went 35-33 with two playoff appearances in his four seasons in Miami, but the Dolphins finished with a losing record in each of the past two years, including going 7-10 in 2025.
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change,” Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross said in a statement.
McDaniel, 42, had told reporters this week that he would be part of the Dolphins’ interview process for a new general manager to replace Chris Grier, who was fired in October.
But now the Dolphins are moving forward with an entirely new regime, and it’s not difficult to connect them to Harbaugh, whom the Baltimore Ravens fired this week after 18 seasons as their head coach.
Chad Alexander, the Los Angeles Chargers’ assistant general manager, was reportedly set to interview Thursday for the Dolphins’ GM job. Alexander spent two decades with the Ravens organization, and much of his tenure overlapped with Harbaugh’s.
Alexander has since spent the past two seasons working with Harbaugh’s younger brother, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The other candidates for Miami’s general manager job include Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly; San Francisco 49ers scouting director Josh Williams; and Green Bay Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, according to ESPN, which reported the decision to fire McDaniel was unrelated to Harbaugh becoming available.
But the possibility of a Harbaugh-Alexander pairing in Miami poses a threat to the Giants, who have been considered a front-runner for Harbaugh’s services.
The Giants job comes with the benefit of having a promising young quarterback in Jaxson Dart already in place.
Miami, meanwhile, is in a state of uncertainty at QB. Tua Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games of 2025, and releasing him this offseason would leave the Dolphins with $99 million in dead money through 2027.
Earlier this week, Tagovailoa expressed an openness to a fresh start elsewhere. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers started the final three games for Miami, going 1-2.
But Harbaugh does not have a prior working relationship with Giants general manager Joe Schoen, which makes Miami’s forthcoming GM decision all the more interesting.
Harbaugh, 63, is 180-113 as a head coach, and he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory after the 2012 season.
