Just a couple hours after the Miami Dolphins parted ways with veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, multiple sources are already floating his potential replacement in South Beach.

Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley has been linked to the Dolphins' suddenly vacant defensive coordinator in the immediate wake of Miami mutually parting ways with Fangio. Describing the circumstances of Fangio's departure, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported “it would make sense” for head coach Mike McDaniel to contemplate hiring Staley to fill his shoes.

“If the Miami Dolphins need a defensive coordinator, which they now do, it would make sense for Mike McDaniel to consider one of the top candidates available, and that would be Brandon Staley,” Rapoport said Wednesday on NFL Network.

While Staley might be a “natural candidate” to take over Miami's defense going forward, there are other internal and external options who the Dolphins could consider.

“Brandon Staley is a natural candidate, as @RapSheet and others have mentioned. The Dolphins also have a strong internal candidate in LBs coach Anthony Campanile, who got an interview for last year's opening. Sean Desai and Kris Richard were also interviewed last year,” Miami beat reporter David Furones of the Sun Sentinel tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

Staley, 41, spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Chargers. Despite fielding a roster commonly lauded as one of the NFL's most talented, Los Angeles never got over the hump during his disappointing tenure, following up last season's disastrous playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 5-9 record in 2023 before Staley—along with general manager Tom Telesco—was relieved of his duties on December 15th.

After breaking into the league in 2017 as defensive assistant with the Chicago Bears and then the Denver Broncos, Staley rose to prominence by helping the Los Angeles Rams to the best defense in football during his first year as the team's defensive coordinator in 2020. He was hired by the crosstown Chargers in January 2021.