Viewed as a lame duck as the Dolphins cleaned house in the front office midway through this season, Mike McDaniel has responded by winning three games since the Chris Grier separation. The Dolphins are not exactly topping “In the Hunt” graphics at 4-7, but they have played better over the past month.
McDaniel led the team to back-to-back playoff berths — the first such instance for Miami since its 1997-2001 string of postseason qualifications — to open his tenure and went 8-9 despite Tua Tagovailoa‘s six missed games in 2024. As rumors about instability within the Dolphins’ organization swirled this offseason and into the campaign, McDaniel still entered the season on the hot seat. While the fourth-year HC’s seat should still be considered warm, momentum may be building toward the team retaining him.
Stephen Ross still believes in McDaniel and wants to see him succeed, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who adds the Miami sideline leader staying in place through 2026 is in play. This would make for an interesting dynamic, as the Dolphins will need a new GM after separating from Grier. But McDaniel’s success coaxing solid play from Tagovailoa, for the most part, will work in his favor — especially if Miami is to continue winning down the stretch.
I mentioned in last week’s PFR chat that a deeper pool of defensive-minded candidates — Vance Joseph, Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley, Jesse Minter, Robert Saleh among them — appears to exist compared to offense-oriented coaches with regards to a 2026 HC hire. Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury still figure to generate interest, but their stocks have not exactly soared this season. McDaniel being a proven offensive coach — one who would generate considerable interest on the 2026 OC carousel if fired — gives Ross something to think about, and Graziano colleague Jeremy Fowler indicates McDaniel being a superior option to most offensive minds on the ’26 HC carousel will work in his favor.
While Tyreek Hill‘s 2022 arrival also played a significant role in Tagovailoa’s ascent, McDaniel’s arrival elevated the passer considerably after two uneven years. Tua’s legion of detractors notwithstanding, the left-handed passer has led the NFL in yards per attempt (2022), passing yards (2023) and completion percentage (2024) in separate seasons. To be fair, his 24th-place QBR placement this year leaves much to be desired. But if McDaniel can coax a solid finish from a player the Dolphins are pot-committed to — as his 2026 guaranteed salary will be difficult to move — that may be the difference in him receiving a fifth season.
As we discussed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece, coaches and GMs being misaligned has proven to be an issue in recent years. Teams are shying away from not aligning their HC and GM hires; the Dolphins pairing McDaniel with a new GM hire would naturally keep the HC on the hot seat for 2026 as well. McDaniel’s extension also runs through 2028. Should the Dolphins stick with him for one more season or cut the cord and pair a new GM with his own HC?
Grier was the main problem
…..and it was obvious to everyone except the guy who signed his paycheck.
If Tua were easier to move on from, I think McD would be too.
Between being stuck with Tua for another season and seeing if a better personnel guy can evaluate talent for the coach, it sure feels like McDaniel is staying. Ross seems to love him. Also makes it more likely that the interim GM stays as well. A top shelf GM candidate is probably not taking the job if he can’t pick his own head coach…..and is stuck with Tua for another season.
He’s a top ten offensive play caller in the league. The team has played hard for him in a lost season. The GM who saddled him with an old, shallow roster with huge holes in it is gone. And it’s not like they can easily move on from Tua this offseason.
Ross is probably saying he believes in McDaniel because he isn’t seeing any great replacement options out there…yet. History has shown us that owner endorsements tend to wilt rather quickly so Mike should be sprucing up his resume anyway.
This guy is the new Jason Garret. He has never done anything. Achane, Hill, Waddle, and Tua and you can’t even get points on the board.
Hill is out for the foreseeable and that isn’t changing, they had enough on offense talent wise. It isn’t the Ayers it’s the coach.