It’s easy to become a prisoner of the moment and declare the most recent development the biggest you’ve ever seen, but it’s not hyperbolic to say this year’s Black Monday will go down in history. The Dallas Cowboys’ decision to fire Matt Eberflus is merely a blip on the radar compared to the wave of firings that followed.
The Baltimore Ravens' decision to part ways with John Harbaugh turned the coaching carousel upside down, as he immediately became the top coach available.
Incredibly, a premier offensive coordinator candidate is now available after the Miami Dolphins shockingly fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday. It looked like Miami was content on keeping McDaniel, but Harbaugh's sudden availability may have forced their hand.
The Cowboys better hope that McDaniel stays far away from the NFC East. Unfortunately, the Commanders have an OC vacancy to fill after they moved on from Kliff Kingsbury, and Dan Quinn happens to have a close relationship with McDaniel.
Mike McDaniel joining the NFC East would be a Cowboys nightmare
Quinn's bond with McDaniel extends beyond the football field. McDaniel has credited Quinn for helping him navigate difficult periods of his life and coaching career. McDaniel has stated publicly that he will always be indebted to Quinn.
Beyond that, McDaniel hails from the Mike Shanahan coaching tree. He spent two years with Washington (then the Redskins) as an offensive assistant before being promoted to wide receivers coach in 2013, so there's already a familiarity with the organization.
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McDaniel is arguably the best run-game designer in the NFL. That’s scary enough on its own, but the prospect of him teaming up with Jayden Daniels should terrify Cowboys fans. McDaniel went 35–33 with Tua Tagovailoa as his quarterback. Imagine what he could do with Daniels while focusing solely on the offense instead of running an entire team.
The Commanders' problems go deeper than just an offensive play-caller, but they were in the NFC Championship Game just one year ago. Hiring McDaniel to replace Kingsbury would catapult them back into the playoff conversation, assuming they figure out some things on the defensive side.
Not to incite a full-blown panic in Dallas, but the Eagles could move on from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo depending on how they do in the playoffs.
There’s no guarantee McDaniel ends up in Washington or Philadelphia, but the mere possibility should be enough to make Cowboys fans uneasy.