Dolphins Rumors: Brandon Staley Linked as DC Candidate After Vic Fangio's Exit

Former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley could be a target of the Miami Dolphins in their search for a new defensive coordinator.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Staley is a viable candidate to replace Vic Fangio, who left the Dolphins on Wednesday.

Staley spent the previous three seasons with the Chargers, compiling a 24-24 record and making one playoff appearance. Los Angeles fired Staley after an embarrassing Thursday night loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

The 41-year-old was a surprise hire by the Chargers in 2021 after he spent just one season as the Rams' defensive coordinator. He had only four years of NFL experience in total before landing his first head-coaching gig, having worked with outside linebackers with the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears.

The Dolphins went 11-6 during the regular season and had a middling season defensively under Fangio. While Miami's scoring defense ranked 22nd in the NFL, the unit was 10th in yards allowed.

Regardless of who winds up in Miami, this will be the Dolphins' third defensive coordinator in as many seasons. They fired Josh Boyer after the 2022 season and replaced him with Fangio, a well-respected veteran voice who many expected to turn the unit around. While that was not the case, there's enough improvement—both in terms of talent and scheme—that one would have expected the two sides to move forward into 2024.

Instead, Staley may have found his landing place.