The Atlanta Falcons officially have Matt Ryan back in the building, and their head coaching search has certainly reflected that. The Falcons' new president of football has started to do his due diligence on potential coaching candidates, and many of those coaches have ties to either him or Arthur Blank.
Since the priority should be Michael Penix Jr.'s development, the Dirty Birds have kicked the tires on former Miami Dolphins' head coach Mike McDaniel. He interviewed yesterday for the Falcons' job this week, but the 42-year-old will be in high demand in the coaching cycle across these next few weeks.
Former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will interview this week for the Browns, Falcons, Titans and Ravens head coaching jobs, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 12, 2026
McDaniel also is scheduled to interview for the Lions OC job. One of the NFL’s top offensive minds is in high demand. pic.twitter.com/haYxcZg4sq
However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the Falcons aren't the only ones interested in him. Apparently, McDaniel also has head coaching interviews lined up with the Browns, Titans, and Ravens, and is also planning to interview for the coveted Detroit Lions' OC job in the coming days.
Falcons will have to fend off multiple other suitors to land Mike McDaniel
Something that could work in Atlanta's favor is the evident connection between Ryan and McDaniel. During his playing days, McDaniel was a Falcons' offensive assistant for two seasons, most notably during Matty Ice's 2016 MVP season where he led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
However, he left Dan Quinn's coaching staff after that season to join Kyle Shanahan's new staff in San Francisco. That ultimately led him to receive an opportunity in Miami, where he helped turn a struggling Tua Tagovailoa into a Pro Bowler who led the Dolphins to the playoffs in 2023.
Both Penix and Tua are left-handed QBs with worrisome injury history, but Penix's arm talent is far superior. This likely means that McDaniel wouldn't have to alter his offensive scheme much to cater to his strengths, especially since calling plays for Bijan Robinson will make any play-caller's job easier.
Of the head coaching jobs McDaniel plans to interview for, the Falcons' coaching job is arguably the most desirable, but they have competition. The Browns boast a strong young core and landing in Tennessee would allow him to coach Cam Ward, but the Ravens are the biggest threat of them all.
Just like in Atlanta, if McDaniel was hired by the Ravens, he would instantly inherit a playoff-caliber roster, but there's one pretty massive difference: the Ravens have Lamar Jackson. Coaching a two-time MVP is obviously more intriguing than working with Penix, who is coming off another torn ACL.
Even Detroit's OC job could be preferred because of their elite offensive weapons, but the Falcons have the same. Their only true red flag are some uncertainties at QB, but Ryan should know McDaniel could accomplish just as much with Penix as with Tua.