Mike McDaniel’s Browns snub hits ‘new low’ with sudden Bills interview

Andy McNamara

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Mike McDaniel’s Browns snub hits ‘new low’ with sudden Bills interview image

There's a "snub", and then there's sending a message. Mike McDaniel just put the Browns, and NFL, on notice that Cleveland's head coaching job is not desirable for a candidate with options.

After famously canceling an in-person meeting with the team at the eleventh hour to take the L.A. Chargers offensive coordinator job, McDaniel is now twisting the knife. The news that he is officially interviewing for the Buffalo Bills head coaching vacancy doesn't just represent a missed opportunity for Cleveland, it’s a public indictment of the franchise’s current trajectory.

As NFL insider Albert Breer noted on X, "The Bills are interviewing new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel for their head coaching job today, per source. McDaniel, of course, spent the last four years in the AFC East as Dolphins head coach. McDaniel will be Jim Harbaugh’s OC if he doesn’t land an HC job."

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While choosing a demotion to a coordinator over a Browns interview was bad enough, jumping back into the head coaching ring with Buffalo proves this was never about timing; it was about the destination.

McDaniel's cancelation also put GM Andrew Berry in a rough position since the organization is now not in compliance with the Rooney Rule. Read more about that in my article here: "Time to panic? How a Rooney Rule failure is sabotaging the Browns coaching search"

Industry insiders suggest the snub stems from the Browns’ rigid front office structure. Under Berry and owner Jimmy Haslam, the "collaborative" approach, which effectively stripped Kevin Stefanski of final say over quarterback decisions, has become a massive red flag.

For a brilliant offensive mind like McDaniel, who has other choices, the prospect of a "collaborative" leash is clearly a non-starter compared to the autonomy offered elsewhere.

Now the Browns will need to somehow figure out how to secure and interview for a second minority candidate in-person (Nate Scheelhaase is scheduled for next week) without making it seem like they are just "checking a box."

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Contributing Writer