Report: It Wasn’t Like The Bucs Didn’t Try To Reel In Mike McDaniel
January 21st, 2026
Questions.
The Bucs, it seems, gave their best sales pitch. And for reasons we may never know, Mike McDaniel wasn’t sold. Or at least, sold enough to become their offensive coordinator.
McDaniel took the Chargers coordinator job instead. And Joe can understand it trying to to see both sides of the coin:
* Job security. Who knows if Bucs coach Todd Bowles will be here in 2027? If, as so many fans have promised, they’re dropping their season tickets in protest because unpopular Bowles was retained, and if Team Glazer feels the pinch financially and the 2026 season goes sideways, then it’s difficult to imagine Bowles being here for 2027. McDaniel apparently wasn’t fully comfortable that he, too, wouldn’t be blown out a year from now.
* Roster security. “This Joe” believes we could be looking at a roster reset a year from now. Just like we don’t know if Bowles will still be with the Bucs in 2027, we don’t know about Baker Mayfield. The Bucs’ quarterback had a horrendous second half of the season after the bye. Blame the injuries, blame the old offensive coordinator, blame Bucky Irving for regressing, blame the injuries to the offensive line. The bottom line is, no matter how you spin it, no matter how badly you wish it never happened, Mayfield had a terrible second half. If he struggles in 2026, it’s a bit of a stretch to see Team Glazer breaking out a bag of loot to pay Mayfield, who enters the 2026 season in a contract year.
There are other factors, Joe is confident. For example, will Mike Evans play for the Bucs again? What about Chris Godwin, who like Mayfield, is entering a contract year?
But, per Jeff Darlington of ESPN, the pride of Seminole High School, the Bucs gave it their best effort to land McDaniel.
And with a plethora of top-shelf quarterbacks who may enter the 2027 draft, if Mayfield struggles and Bowles is waved goodbye, does Team Glazer/Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht decide to hit the reset button and chase the next Bucs franchise quarterback and a rebuild?
There are all sorts of questions candidates for the Bucs’ open offensive coordinator position likely have. Not so many for the same openings in Philadelphia, Los Angeles (now filled) or even Tennessee.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:04 am
The “sales pitch” doesn’t matter if you have a lame duck head coach and a QB who could be on his way out. The Glazers and Licht should’ve seen this coming.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:08 am
Too many great OC jobs available…was a stretch imo to expect him to sign here.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:10 am
It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to understand why this job and organization is undesirable.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:11 am
Eh, I don’t buy job security. If the offense performs well and Todd is fired, then he’s got his audition without an interview process.
As far as roster security, Baker is gonna be here. This dude has been balling out and is the heart and soul of the team. He hasn’t been the problem and my money says he gives another team discount for an established high caliber quarterback. Yes, other players are getting older and fazing away, but what team doesn’t have that? Reinforcements have mostly been drafted already. We certainly still have some positions to address in draft/FA.
Tbh, he probably just liked the prospect of Justin and the makeup of that team. It’s also in LA and prob more closely matching his style. The West is best.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:12 am
Licht is overrated and the reason this team isn’t very good.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:13 am
Bowles Anchor! Dragging this team down. Golly geez at least they tried. I had thought of Licht being a good GM but he owns this now. He will go down with Bowles!
January 21st, 2026 at 12:14 am
While I would’ve loved for him to be here, I don’t think it was ever realistic. Lame duck HC and other options with just as good of weapons (LAC and Philly). Both are bigger markets too, which helps him for another HC opportunity.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:17 am
It is what it is weather it’s job security or whatever Bucs must and I am pretty sure they will move on. As for the season ticket holders dropping their season tickets in protest, all the Bucs need is to win and it’s not a guaranteed thing but I willing to bet a 50- 50 chance most of those ticket holders will be back
January 21st, 2026 at 12:23 am
This is simpler than brain salad surgery.
No one wants to work for Tood Bowloser. No. One.
He sucks. Reeks. Incompetent, inept, probably incontinent.
Fire him.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:26 am
He’s a California guy. That explains a lot on so many levels…
January 21st, 2026 at 12:29 am
Wtf are we even doing?!? This team has become a clown show more and more every year. The days of competence with BA and Brady are long gone. Who in the hell would want to come here and coach with this clueless staff? Can’t attract talent or decent coaches any longer. This must be the long game edition of tanking for a top 5 pick next year. What a joke
January 21st, 2026 at 12:30 am
Why would anyone want to work for Bowles if they didn’t have to. Bad coach, bad GM and bad defense. No way would anyone with serious NFL experience want to work here.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:31 am
No one with an IQ over 45 is going to take Baker over Herbert.
Baker hit his absolute peak under Coen, and is almost certainly never going to be that good again. So if you’re McDaniel – what is the appeal? Also, for the record, Coen is better than McDaniel, and it’s not like he’d achieve what Coen did here.
But Herbert has been stuck in a 1970s offense, and still performed really well. Place him in a modern NFL offense, and his ceiling is the being the best QB in the game. There’s pretty much nowhere for him to go but up.
With Baker, meanwhile, he went 2-7 over the second half of the season, over the last 7 games average 18.2 points per game, and played so poorly he got his OC fired. You really thought McDaniel was going to put his future in those hands? Uh, no.
However, I’m not worried about it. Bowles deserves the benefit of the doubt – and I said all along he’s probably going to hire someone we’ve never heard of and all the idiots will yell and scream about it, just like they did with Canales and Coen.
January 21st, 2026 at 12:44 am
I like everyone wanted Mike McDaniel but after thinking about it idk if his offense is suited for Baker the best Mike love to throw deep an Baker is better at short to intermediate Herbert is a great deep ball thrower an Mike wanted to get back to Cali so y’all can have him I want someone who wants to be here not settle for us I have confidence that everything will work out an everything happens for a reason Bucs will be fine an get the right guy Let’s see if they can get Nate but he might get HC job Udinski can only take HC jobs unless Coen lets him interview for a OC job that calls plays but We will see it could be Zac but.i feel like they will start doing in person interviews I think Dan Pitcher is.in person today but only been 3 in person So far or 2 with one today
January 21st, 2026 at 12:44 am
Why would he choose this dumpster fire of a team when there are way better opportunities elsewhere? Work with Todd or work with Harbaugh? That’s a tough choice lol
I think the Bucs are going to have a rough time finding a quality OC with Todd as head coach. Blame Licht and the Glazers for this situation.
January 21st, 2026 at 1:04 am
Say what you will about Bowles but, the Glazers saw something in him to give him a 3 extension. Owners don’t just issue out money like that because they like a guy I think some of the major issues with Bowles is, he wait to long to replace his assistants. Just look at Jim Harbaugh and HC down in Detroit, one and done with their OC
January 21st, 2026 at 1:09 am
Look at the Tweet Darlington made. Baker is great and I don’t want him to go anywhere. But Herbert has that MVP level of talent. He chose them for the QB and I can’t blame him
January 21st, 2026 at 1:16 am
Gee I wonder why McDaniels wouldn’t come here. It’s not like there’s a lame duck HC around, who sucks at his job whom McDaniels beat with a third stringer…..
January 21st, 2026 at 1:17 am
4 wins in 2026, shoulda woulda and coulda fired Bowles but now you get whatcha pay for. Moving on.
January 21st, 2026 at 1:17 am
‘Baker Mayfield commented that the atmosphere with Tom Brady in the building was “high-strung” and “stressed,” contrasting it with his goal to bring “joy back to football’’ .
This statement is aging well isn’t it? And this from someone with ZERO rings comparing him to the Man with 7. Only a moron even mentions the Goat’s name when it comes to the Attitude it takes to win in this league.
January 21st, 2026 at 1:17 am
What would you do in his shoes? Harbaugh or Bowles? I mean look at the win loss records. Its not rocket science.
January 21st, 2026 at 1:35 am
The bucs recruit the same way they play football we need a real quarterback