‘Sums Up Mike McDaniel in a Nutshell’ — Ex-Chargers DT Takes Dig at Los Angeles’ OC, Predicts ‘7–10’ Record for Team

Jul 31, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel during training camp press conference at The Bolt. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers hired Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator in January 2026 after a disappointing offensive season and a wild-card playoff exit. McDaniel replaced Greg Roman, hoping to revive an offense that struggled to find consistency.

However, the offense looked slow and sloppy throughout the offseason. Now, a rough preseason finale has added another layer of criticism, with former Chargers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko taking a shot at McDaniel.

Breiden Fehoko Calls Out Chargers OC Mike McDaniel

Fehoko reacted to the preseason matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Chargerson his official X account. After watching the Chargers’ starting offense struggle early, the former defensive tackle did not hold back.

“Chargers’ starting offense final preseason game,” he wrote. “Opening drive turnover. Second drive explosive touchdown. Sums up Mike McDaniel in a nutshell. 7-10 is on the table. I’ll see y’all in December.”

The criticism came after a costly mistake on only the second play.

Justin Herbert tried to complete a routine handoff to Omarion Hampton, but the exchange went wrong, and the ball came loose. Rams safety Nick Andersen recovered it at the Chargers’ 14-yard line.

Just one play earlier, the starting unit had gained nine yards and appeared to be moving quickly. Instead, the turnover immediately flipped the field and gave the Rams a short path to an early field goal.

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McDaniel has changed Herbert’s mechanics to create more quick-strike opportunities. The quarterback now works primarily from a fast-paced shotgun setup rather than relying on his traditional footwork. However, that adjustment showed its downside immediately.

The Chargers then quickly answered their earlier mistake with a two-play scoring drive. After a tipped pass on first down, Justin Herbert took the snap on second-and-10 and fired a 65-yard strike to Quentin Johnston.

Johnston had already beaten the secondary after lining up outside. He tracked the pass in stride, found nothing but open field ahead, and raced into the end zone. Suddenly, Los Angeles had a 7-3 advantage, and McDaniel’s aggressive approach had paid off.

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In this incident, McDaniel’s system helped the offense. It created difficult looks for defensive backs through layered concepts and aggressive spacing. That design gave Johnston enough room to run free behind the coverage.

Instead of becoming conservative after the turnover, McDaniel stayed aggressive and trusted Herbert to attack. The quarterback then delivered the kind of explosive play his new coordinator wants.

Still, the game has not gone according to plan for Los Angeles. As of writing, the Rams lead 13-7 in the third quarter with 8:52 remaining.

Then, last week against the San Francisco 49ers, McDaniel’s offense also stalled, as the team suffered a 41-17 blowout loss.

McDaniel enters the season under scrutiny after his 2025 run as Miami’s head coach. The Dolphins finished the season 7-10, and he was fired in January 2026. That history explains Fehoko’s warning about another 7-10 finish.

But now, McDaniel has a different role in Los Angeles. He is building an offense that demands sharp timing, quick footwork, and anticipatory throws into tight windows. For now, the preseason has offered both sides of his approach.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.