Getty Ex-Raiders coach Josh McDaniels (left) and Bills QB Josh Allen
This may sound a little crazy to those who have watched this Raiders season unfold, but around the NFL, ex-coach Josh McDaniels still holds a sliver of respectability. Yes, he has been a disaster as a head coach, first in Denver and now with the Raiders. But he did well in New England as an offensive coordinator. Granted, he had Tom Brady for most of that tenure, but he was the one guy who did well with Mac Jones, too.
McDaniels, of course, was fired after eight weeks this season, meaning he stuck around for just a season-and-a-half with the Raiders.
That explains why NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated concocted this idea, which he put out on Twitter/X after potential AFC contender Buffalo fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey midseason. Breer thinks McDaniels could help Bills star quarterback Josh Allen, who has struggled badly with a 2-4 record and interceptions in six straight games.
“The Bills should call Josh McDaniels about coming in (or working remotely) as a consultant for the rest of the year. McDaniels and Brian Daboll coached together going all the way back to the ’90s at Michigan State. And Josh knows how to get the most from a QB,” Breer wrote.
Josh McDaniels Ran Raiders Into the Ground
That caused more than one user on Twitter to scoff. There is no love lost between Raiders fans and Josh McDaniels, who was Public Enemy No. 1 for most of this year. McDaniels had Derek Carr and a 10-7 team last year and went 8-9 despite the addition of star receiver Davante Adams.
Then, McDaniels replaced Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo, who could not stay healthy even for half a season, and threw the most interceptions in the NFL when he did play. Garoppolo had a career quarterback rating of 106.2 as a backup in New England and 99.2 with the 49ers, mostly as a starter. Playing with Josh McDaniels, though? That number fell to 78.1
Still, Breer defended his position when some called him out on McDaniels’ ability to develop quarterbacks. If he got involved in Buffalo, it would be Josh Allen under his tutelage.
“(Josh McDaniels) developed Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Jacoby Brissett, and all three became starters,” he posted. “Got, by far, the best year out of Mac Jones’ three as a pro. It didn’t work out as a HC. But if you don’t think Josh McDaniels can coach quarterbacks, you’re blind.”
Big Payday Still Awaiting McDaniels
The bigger thing for McDaniels now is whether he would want to come back and coach, or take some time and hope that he can rehab his image. He does not necessarily need to, though, beause the Raiders made Josh McDaniels a very rich man.
Remember, Raiders owner Mark Davis is still on the hook for the outlandish, six-year, $60 million contract he gave McDaniels after the 2021 season, a deal he handed out despite the fact that McDaniels had no success as a head coach during his first run with Denver.
McDaniels went 11-17 during his time with the Broncos. That’s not great. In his year-and-a-half with the Raiders, McDaniels went 9-16.
That’s a 20-33 career record, and it’s important to remember that the Broncos were 6-0 in McDaniels’ first six games. So, in his last 47 games as a head coach, McDaniels is 14-33.
He did set an interesting record when he was axed by the Raiders, though. McDaniels became the only coach in NFL history to be fired by two different franchises before finishing his second season. If Buffalo wants to hand their young quarterback over to that guy, good luck.