Dolphins GM Candidates Being Asked About Mike McDaniel Status; John Harbaugh Not In Play?
The Dolphins are conducting a GM search that could determine where they go at head coach. For the time being, Mike McDaniel remains employed as HC — to the point he is being given input on the GM search — but it is not certain he will receive a fifth season.
Miami’s set of GM interviews thus far have seen candidates asked about working with McDaniel, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. But the meetings have also included the search committee asking the candidates about thoughts on replacing the four-year HC and starting fresh. This prospect came up Tuesday as well.
Considering the issues mismatched timelines can cause, it is unsurprising the Dolphins are listening to candidates’ views about working with a coach on the hot seat. More teams as of late have opted to start their GM and HC timeclocks concurrently. But Dolphins ownership is believed to be fond of McDaniel, hence the interesting situation in which he has input on a process that involves his job status.
This is certainly not the smoothest setup, but it is how the Dolphins are proceeding with their first GM search in 10 years. McDaniel still appears to have a better chance to stay than be canned, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano note, indicating the embattled leader still has support in “important parts of the building.”
Chris Grier did not have full roster control until 2019, but the Dolphins promoted him to GM in 2016. Miami has not hired a GM from outside the organization since appointing Dennis Hickey to the post in 2014. This represents uncovered ground for the modern Dolphins, who have brought in Troy Aikman to help with the hire. Aikman’s old coach, Jimmy Johnson, suggested the team speak with the ESPN analyst, Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes.
Following a rather publicized Cowboys breakup, Johnson ended up back in Miami coaching the Dolphins from 1996-99. Stephen Ross was not yet the team owner during Johnson’s tenure, but the Hall of Fame coach still clearly has a line to the franchise. Aikman joins Dan Marino and other staffers on the search committee.
Three of the Dolphins’ GM candidates — Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad, R.J. Gillen — are 49ers staffers who worked with McDaniel previously. Hiring one of them would point to the HC staying on. Hiring one of the other interviewees, however, may lead elsewhere. An interesting possible third door opened Tuesday night, as the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh is believed to have received interest from at least seven teams, meaning at least one club without a coaching vacancy gauged his interest. Considering McDaniel’s tenuous status, it would stand to reason they would reach out to the new coaching free agent.
This may or may not have occurred. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the Dolphins have been in touch with Harbaugh, adding team ownership is believed to have an affinity for the veteran HC. Countering this, however, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicates no engagement of any kind has taken place between the Dolphins and Harbaugh.
Considering Harbaugh’s accomplishments, it would be natural to assume the Dolphins would have interest. But the lot of HC-needy teams, most notably the Giants, does as well. Harbaugh has only coached with the Eagles and Ravens since entering the NFL in 1998. He would provide a proven option on a market that largely lacks them. The team that does end up with Harbaugh, though, would seemingly need to be a non-rebuilding operation presently.
Dolphins ownership did move on from Grier due partially to the GM’s interest in conducting a fire sale at the trade deadline, pointing against a rebuild. Then again, the team appears on the verge of dropping Tua Tagovailoa and looking for a new quarterback. That would at least present a key rebuild ingredient, which could make a Harbaugh fit clunky.
Dolphins To Interview Chargers’ Chad Alexander For GM; Mike McDaniel Not Lock To Stay?
An eighth Dolphins GM candidate has emerged. Beyond interim front office boss Champ Kelly and the sextet to receive interview slips Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Chad Alexander is also on the request list.
Alexander, the Chargers’ assistant GM since 2024, was on the GM radar last year. The Jaguars met with him about their vacancy, and the Raiders brought him in twice for meetings.
A Ravens exec for nearly 20 years, Alexander worked under Joe Douglas in New York from 2019-24. The Jets scrapped their Douglas plan months after losing Alexander to the Chargers. Alexander worked with Bolts GM Joe Hortiz for nearly 20 years in Baltimore and has been part of two playoff teams since relocating to Los Angeles.
The Dolphins have sent interview requests to the Packers’ Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Rams’ John McKay, the Eagles’ Alec Halaby and 49ers execs Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad and R.J. Gillen. While Mike McDaniel worked with Ahmad, Gillen and Williams in San Francisco, he has no history with the other three execs summoned. Some of the candidates have not been informed if McDaniel is staying, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Sullivan is meeting with the team today, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
It is worth wondering if all of the candidates are under this impression or if some are; it could just be a matter of only some of the candidates’ understanding of this situation are known at this juncture. It would be odd if the Dolphins hired an exec from the 49ers and fired McDaniel, but were they to reach outside that tree, a move with a fresh GM-HC start would make more sense. Signs have pointed to McDaniel staying for a bit, but if the Dolphins want to hire a GM not keen on working with a coach on the hot seat, it would make sense to reevaluate the situation.
The interviewees for this GM position will have some NFL bigwigs firing questions at them. Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Troy Aikman, recently named a consultant as the Dolphins conduct their first GM search since 2016, are on the committee set to meet with aspiring candidates, Jackson notes. Stephen Ross, team president Tom Garfinkel, senior VP of football administration Brandon Shore and Ross son-in-law Danny Sillman are meeting with the candidates. McDaniel is believed to have input, but it does not appear a lock he is staying for a fifth season.
Mike McDaniel To Be Part Of Dolphins’ GM Search
The Dolphins have not made it official Mike McDaniel will return for a fifth season as HC, but this situation certainly looks to be headed that way.
McDaniel said (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) he will be part of Miami’s GM search process. While the hire will not solely be McDaniel’s call, this provides a pretty clear indication which direction Dolphins ownership is leaning regarding the head coach.
A GM who can work with McDaniel was not believed to be a Dolphins priority, but it would help if the organization indeed plans to keep its HC. The early makeup of the Dolphins’ search points to McDaniel having a great chance to stay. Three of the six interview slips Miami has sent out went to San Francisco execs — all of whom were with the 49ers during McDaniel’s tenure. Josh Williams, Tarik Ahmad and R.J. Gillen are among the names the Dolphins want to interview.
Stephen Ross will make the final call, but he split up McDaniel and Chris Grier just before the trade deadline. Both Dolphins power brokers entered the season on hot seats; Grier’s interest in a fire sale-like approach at the deadline hurt his chances of staying. Well, that and the Dolphins’ record.
McDaniel’s fourth season started 1-6, and the team later benched Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa, who would welcome a fresh start, appears heading toward surpassing Russell Wilson‘s single-player dead money record (cutting the left-hander would bring a staggering $99.2MM in dead cap).
McDaniel and Tyreek Hill had revitalized Tagovailoa’s career in 2022, but both players’ contracts became an issue under Grier. The GM had caved to player demands for early paydays on a few occasions, with Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey joining Hill in being given a monster guarantee package with more than a year remaining on a contract. The Dolphins designated Howard as a post-June 1 cut, with Ramsey being traded after June 1 because of his contract. Tagovailoa could be a post-June 1 release — if he is jettisoned without a trade, the Dolphins will have to use that designation — and Hill not being classified as a post-June 1 cut would bring nearly $30MM in dead cap. Tagovailoa’s $53.1MM-per-year extension runs through 2028.
McDaniel, 42, was tasked with leading a flawed roster this year, but his offense ranked 25th in points and 26th in yardage. After back-to-back playoff berths, Miami is riding consecutive sub-.500 seasons. Tagovailoa avoided injury this season but underwhelmed despite being in Year 4 in McDaniel’s offense. Miami would carry a glaring QB need if it moves on from the southpaw passer, and the Dolphins look to be trusting McDaniel in helping find a replacement.
The Dolphins rallied to reach a 6-7 record, but they struggled mightily in Pittsburgh during a nationally televised game. Tagovailoa’s subsequent benching did not spark the offense, as Ewers started in blowout losses to the Bengals and Patriots. McDaniel surviving despite this would be interesting, though Ross has long been a fan of his coaching. Grier’s ouster did not precede reports McDaniel would follow him out the door. On the contrary, reports pegged McDaniel as a clear candidate to stay.
While some pushback on this emerged late last month, the Dolphins appear ready to at least partially stay the course. The GM search could change the plan, as the Jaguars’ mid-search decision to fire GM Trent Baalke (in order to attract better HC options) reminds. For now, though, McDaniel will be a key part of the search. Hiring a GM based partially on the recommendation of a coach on the hot seat would not seem wise, so it will be interesting to learn how much influence McDaniel ends up having here.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Likely Safe
JANUARY 5: McDaniel has “expressed confidence” about his status recently, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Things could of course change with the general manager position yet to be filled, but it appears as though the Dolphins will not join the growing list of teams with a vacancy on the sidelines.
JANUARY 4: The job security of Mike McDaniel has remained a talking point for much of the 2025 season. The late stages of the campaign have seen improved play in the case of the Dolphins, though, pointing to stability on the sidelines for next year. 
McDaniel is in the group of coaches likely to be safe as ‘Black Monday’ approaches, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (video link). Conflicting reports have emerged over recent months on the matter of McDaniel’s future, with Schefter among those cautioning a final decision has yet to be made. His latest update confirms that is still the case, with front office discussions still to be had after the season finale.
When general manager Chris Grier‘s lengthy Miami tenure came to an end midway through the season, it was immediately learned McDaniel would remain in place for the remainder of 2025. The Dolphins have once again fallen short of the playoffs with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa being benched. Keeping him atop the depth chart was seen at one point as a central factor in McDaniel’s job security given the success shared by that pair in the past. Strong play elsewhere on the roster has nevertheless helped the case for stability on the sidelines.
The Dolphins have won five of their last seven games entering Sunday’s action. To perhaps little surprise, then, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones also points to McDaniel receiving a fifth season at the helm. The 42-year-old sports an overall record of 35-32 at this point, and he has led the Dolphins to a pair of postseason appearances (both of which ended with losses in the wild-card round). Presuming he remains in place for 2026, how McDaniel fits into a reshaped structure in Miami will be interesting to see.
The search for Grier’s replacement is ongoing, and broadcaster Troy Aikman is among those playing a role. Once a new general manager is in place – either through an outside hire or interim Champ Kelly receiving the gig on a full-time basis – attention will turn to the matter of potential changes in the organizational pecking order. Grier previously outranked McDaniel as well as senior VP of football and business administration Brandon Shore while reporting to owner Stephen Ross. A new setup is being considered which would see Shore, the new GM and McDaniel each report directly to Ross. Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports nothing has been finalized yet on that front, and that will presumably remain the case until a decision is made to fill the general manager spot.
A strong fit with McDaniel is not viewed as Miami’s top priority during the team’s GM search, one which Jones notes includes sports executive (and Ross’ son-in-law) Daniel Sillman. That factor suggests a McDaniel dismissal could still receive consideration, although at this point such a move would come as a surprise.
Dolphins Seeking GM With Scouting Background; Latest On Mike McDaniel
With newly hired consultant Troy Aikman aiding the Dolphins’ search for a general manager, the team is expected to appoint a GM with a scouting background, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The Dolphins want someone whose “expertise is in team building,” Pelissero says.
Having gone without a full-time GM since parting with Chris Grier on Halloween, Miami is poised to move quickly in its hunt for a replacement, per Pelissero. Interim GM Champ Kelly will reportedly interview, but Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and 49ers director, scouting and football operations Josh Williams are among outside names to watch, Albert Breer of SI.com relays.
This is the second time Sullivan has come up in connection to Miami’s GM vacancy since Grier’s exit. The 50-year-old has worked for the Packers since he began as a training camp intern in 2003.
Sullivan has garnered extensive experience as a scout in Green Bay, which may make him an ideal fit for the Dolphins. After interviewing for multiple GM openings last offseason, Sullivan should be well prepared for the process.
Williams joined Sullivan in interviewing for Jacksonsville’s GM role twice last winter, though the job ultimately went to James Gladstone. A year later, expectations are Williams will parlay a strong scouting resume into further interest from GM-needy teams.
Now in his 14th season in San Francisco, Williams is familiar with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who was on the 49ers’ coaching staff from 2017-21. With the 7-9 Dolphins set to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, McDaniel’s future is in question.
If the Dolphins select Williams as their GM, it could boost McDaniel’s odds of returning for a fifth season. However, the Dolphins are not prioritizing hiring someone based on how that individual meshes with McDaniel, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. Rather, they want “the best fit in general.”
Although McDaniel has an important fan in owner Stephen Ross, that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to keep his job. Ross will listen to his high-ranking front office members before deciding the coach’s fate, according to Breer.
Miami’s next GM will likely join McDaniel (or a different head coach) and senior VP of football and business administration Brandon Shore in forming the team’s power structure on the football side, Breer notes. Shore has taken on a larger role since Grier’s ouster. He’ll work alongside Ross and president Tom Garkfinkel as Miami searches for its next GM, per Breer.
Browns GM Andrew Berry Likely To Stay; Mike McDaniel On Team’s Radar?
As smoke about the Browns moving on from Kevin Stefanski has emerged, Andrew Berry continues to skate by without many indications his job is in jeopardy. As the Browns wrap another disappointing season, they do not appear ready to fire their GM.
Despite the Browns being 7-26 over the past two seasons and still on the hook for the Deshaun Watson contractual catastrophe, Berry remains the point man. He is on track to be retained for a seventh year, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano write. The veteran GM has operated like someone who believes he is coming back, per Fowler, with Graziano adding he has received “no indication” a Cleveland GM change is coming.
A November report indicated a chance at a housecleaning exists, but were the Berry-Stefanski duo to be split, the GM would be more likely to stay. Meddling from ownership also has been rumored during Berry’s tenure. That is certainly not out of character for how Jimmy Haslam operated in the early years of his tenure, though the oft-criticized owner has refrained from impulse firings this decade — after a slew of quick-trigger decisions in the 2010s. Berry and Stefanski have been in place since 2020; both received extensions before the 2024 season.
It can be argued Berry is more at fault for where the Browns are than Stefanski. After all, the sixth-year HC is a two-time Coach of the Year who has made his offense work with a few quarterbacks. Watson was not one of those, and the five-year, $230MM contract has defined this regime’s run. In 2022, Haslam said Berry hatched the scheme to fully guarantee Watson’s contract. The owner has not retracted this, but he did admit an organizational mistake on Watson this offseason. Berry also said Browns brass was aligned on Watson when discussing the controversial trade last year.
The QB was believed to be headed to Atlanta before the Browns reentered the race with their outlier guarantee. Berry remaining employed nearly four years after the team authorized the worst contract in NFL history on his watch does point to Haslam being hands-on for that move. Watson’s contract has veered into the MLB/NBA sunk-cost stratum, with the dead money — thanks in large part to many Berry-authorized restructures — so massive it appears the Browns will be forced to retain him in 2026 as well.
The Browns look to have also identified some pieces in this draft, having seen Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin enjoy quality rookie seasons. That lot of Day 2 draftees came after the team moved out of the Travis Hunter slot, adding additional first- and second-round capital to do so, to select defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5. Pro Football Focus has Graham 34th among over 100 interior D-line regulars this season. This has not translated to wins, but ownership may believe Berry can guide the Browns out of the mess they have created.
This is Berry’s second stint in Cleveland. He was in place during the ill-fated Sashi Brown– and Paul DePodesta-directed rebuild from 2016-17. The Browns brought him back (from the Eagles) after firing John Dorsey following the 2019 season (DePodesta is now back in baseball, joining the Colorado Rockies). Two of the team’s three playoff berths since its 1999 relaunch have come on Berry and Stefanski’s watch, which will make for an interesting decision after this season wraps at either 5-12 or 4-13.
Stefanski has been linked to the Giants in a possible trade, and Fowler notes some around the league wonder if the ex-Vikings OC being the would be the strongest retread candidate were the Browns to fire him. The retread crop includes Robert Saleh, Vance Joseph and Mike McCarthy. Mike McDaniel could also qualify if the Dolphins move on, which may be close to a 50-50 proposition at this point. If the Browns fire Stefanski, Fowler also points to the team having interest in McDaniel were he to be let go.
That would be a fascinating switch. Most teams go in different directions after firing a coach, but a Stefanski-for-McDaniel swap would be firing an offensive coach on the younger side and then hiring a similar option (Stefanski is 43, McDaniel 42).
Any thought of this switch would seemingly be aimed at McDaniel maximizing Cleveland’s offense in a way Stefanski has been unable to over the past two seasons. McDaniel is far from certain to be out in Miami, but with the AFC East club set to hire a new GM, his standing is murky ahead of Week 18. It appears both Stefanski and McDaniel would garner immediate HC interest — on a market without many surefire offense-based candidates — if fired.
Dolphins Hire Troy Aikman As Consultant On GM Search
JANUARY 2: While Shore will play a major role in the Dolphins’ GM search, but ownership will be “leading the search,” per Jackson. That will leave the team’s final decision up to Ross, and he may very well be steering the process based on his perceptions about current candidates.
JANUARY 1: The Dolphins parted ways with former general manager Chris Grier back on Halloween and seem to have kept their attention on finishing out this season. Senior personnel executive Champ Kelly has been relied on as the interim general manager since then, reprising a role he also played in Las Vegas. While we’ve heard that there’s already plenty of interest in the job, at the moment, the only person known to be a candidate is Kelly. 
While résumés are probably being collected and names evaluated, there have been no reports before today that showed the search was underway. To that effort, according to a breaking report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hall of Fame quarterback and current ESPN analyst Troy Aikman has been hired by Dolphins team owner Stephen Ross to consult on the search for their new general manager. The three-time Super Bowl champion will not have to relinquish his ESPN contract, though, as the advising role is a temporary one only meant to last through the process of the search.
Several networks contributed to this report. Shortly after Schefter broke the seal, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added that Aikman has already been active in the role, making “calls around the league to research candidates” and discussing “strategy with Miami ownership.” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network chimed in, as well, clarifying that Aikman “is not considered a candidate for the job” despite having “mused in the past about becoming a GM himself.” Adding to the responsibilities listed by Breer, Pelissero mentioned that Aikman “is doing background work ahead of interviews next week.” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald also contributed, adding that Aikman will also “sit in on interviews” and “discuss candidates with Ross.”
Grier had been with the Dolphins since 2000, when he started as a scout and worked his way up to assistant director of college scouting in 2003, director of college scouting in 2007, and general manager in 2016. Having a mind that’s been in the building since 2000 running the personnel show since 2016, Ross thought it was important to gain some outside perspective. With Grier being an interior hire, the team has not “run a full GM search since they hired Dennis Hickey in 2014,” according to Pelissero. Per Schefter, Aikman’s time as an NFL player and broadcaster over the past 37 years equipped him with the respected perspective and strong relationships across the league that Miami was looking for in the consulting position.
The idea of getting outside help is certainly not a foreign one. Two years ago, the Commanders utilized former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers in their coaching and GM searches; though, unlike Aikman, Myers stayed with the team after the searches were complete. Last year, Jets owner Woody Johnson employed former Dolphins executives Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman in New York’s coaching and GM searches. We’ve also seen teams utilize consulting firms for searches.
The process of hiring Aikman has seemingly been underway for weeks, even before he called the Dolphins’ game against the Steelers three weeks ago, per Jackson. In his commentary for that contest, Aikman was complimentary of head coach Mike McDaniel‘s playcalling, though he questioned the offense’s fourth-quarter pace. Per Jackson, these comments don’t have any effect on McDaniel’s future, as Aikman’s consulting role is limited strictly to the general manager role. Jackson added that Ross still has faith in McDaniel and that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the head coach return in 2026 with the new GM, but no final decision has been made.
Per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, Ross is looking for reasons to keep McDaniel as he weathers the end of the season without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Ownership wants to see McDaniel reidentify himself and his offense outside of Tagovailoa, who may still be on the roster next year, though the team will explore trading him to relieve themselves of the guaranteed money he’s tied to. Regardless, a new quarterback is expected to at least be competing with Tagovailoa for the starting job next year, and Ross wants to know McDaniel can establish success without him, if necessary.
For the general manager search, per Breer, the Dolphins have already done significant homework — Jackson phrased it, “laying the groundwork” — researching candidates since parting ways with Grier and “plan to hit the ground running on their GM search early next week,” after their 2025 season has officially concluded. NFL teams cannot interview candidates currently working in executive roles with other NFL teams until the regular season concludes anyway. Aikman’s services were uniquely attractive due to the relationships he has with his connections around the league due to his weekly Monday Night Football assignments, on which Pelissero says he “can lean on to gather info and shape the search.”
After the drama surrounding Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and his own access through the media, it will be interesting to see if any objections arise about Aikman’s participation in the search. Knowing that he’s been involved with the Dolphins since at least before Week 15, that means he’s worked games involving the Falcons, Colts, Rams, Steelers, and 49ers since then and will also work with the Seahawks and whatever playoff teams participate in the wild card and second-round playoff games Aikman is assigned to. If any interview candidates come from these teams, conflict of interest concerns may arise from Aikman’s work with the franchises as a representative of ESPN.
Jackson did confirm that Kelly is expected to receive an interview, but the team is planning for the search to be a thorough one examining a wide range of candidates. In regard to what the Dolphins are looking for out of a potential GM, Pelissero stresses that their focus is on a strong scouting background. Jackson followed that comment up by underlining how much Miami values senior vice president of football and business administration Brandon Shore, whom they see “as someone skilled with the salary cap and other business-oriented aspects that are critical in a modern-day NFL front office.”
According to Wolfe, Shore is “expected to be the quarterback” of the search. Wolfe claims Shore’s role may become something similar to that of Rams team president Kevin Demoff, allowing him to handle the money while the new GM handles personnel decisions like scouting and the fates of McDaniel and Tagovailoa.
Aikman isn’t the only Hall of Fame passer on the search team. Wolfe mentions that Dolphins special advisor Dan Marino will also be involved in interviews. Aikman’s services were sought in addition to Marino’s because his experience is a bit more league-wide. Though Shore is quarterbacking the search that involves two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, ultimately, the decision on the who the next GM will be comes down to Ross. The search will hit the ground running Monday.
League Insiders Differ On Mike McDaniel’s Future In Miami
Despite a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport claiming that the Dolphins will keep Mike McDaniel at the end of the year, the team may not have finalized that decision yet.
“I know people are saying [Mike McDaniel] is safe,” said ESPN’s Adam Schefter on the Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t think they have made any decisions there yet about his future. He might be safe, but he might not. That is still playing out in real-time, and nothing has been decided there. We’ll see how that plays out over time.”
“Nothing has been decided there,” he repeated.
Between the two reports was a blowout loss to the Bengals. The Dolphins got out to a 14-10 lead in the second quarter before their defense allowed touchdowns on five straight drives. Here’s how Miami’s corresponding drives on offense ended: punt, fumble, interception, turnover on downs, and another fumble.
That is an embarrassing enough performance for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to at least reconsider his decision on McDaniel. His job security has been a topic of discussion all season with the pendulum swinging back and forth between firing and retaining him. His decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers seemed to be an indicator that he was still in good standing, but Schefter’s latest report is leaning the other way.
McDaniel’s fate may be decided by the Dolphins’ next two games. First, they will face a 7-8 Buccaneers team still fighting to win the NFC South. Next will be the Patriots who may still be battling for their division and/or a first-round bye. Those are both tough games, – especially going up to New England in Week 18 – and given how Miami has played this season, both seem like they could get out of hand.
If McDaniel can find a way to lose more gracefully than he did on Sunday, he might stay in good enough standing to keep his job. But getting blown out could be the last straw for his tenure in Miami.
Dolphins Expected To Retain Mike McDaniel; Champ Kelly To Receive GM Interview
DECEMBER 21: While the Dolphins are planning to keep McDaniel, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tagovailoa is on his way out of Miami. A trade, even if it involves eating some of Tagovailoa’s 2026 salary, would be the team’s “preferred option,” per Rapoport, but an outright release is still on the table despite the financial consequences. Keeping the 27-year-old quarterback as the league’s most expensive backup – as the Falcons did with Kirk Cousins – does not appear to be an option at the moment.
DECEMBER 19: The Dolphins demoted Tua Tagovailoa to the third-string spot on their depth chart this week, potentially signaling an end to the inconsistent passer’s six-year Miami tenure. As for the coach that pulled the trigger on this move, no change is expected.
Although the Dolphins lost to the Steelers and are now eliminated from the playoffs, Mike McDaniel being allowed to make the Tagovailoa-for-Quinn Ewers switch may be telling. The belief in Miami is that McDaniel will stay for a fifth season, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes.
Prospective HC and GM candidates informed Jones their expectation is McDaniel will be retained and have a chance to spark a turnaround. One source told Jones a belief in the building is McDaniel was given a “tough hand” this year, and unlike the since-ousted Chris Grier, the sideline leader will be given a chance to bounce back in 2026. This is not the first time we have heard McDaniel was likely to be kept, but this coming after the Tua news certainly carries more weight.
It may be tough to see McDaniel’s job being easier next year, assuming he stays. If the team follows through with a Tagovailoa release, it would bring a staggering $99.2MM dead money hit. That dead cap number would be split between 2026 and ’27, continuing a line of pricey Dolphins post-June 1 moves, but will significantly hinder Miami’s roster-building capabilities regardless of where the 2026 salary cap settles.
Only the Broncos have incurred a dead money hit north of $60MM, via their $84.6MM Russell Wilson release. The Dolphins have cut Byron Jones and Xavien Howard using the post-June 1 transaction (2023, 2024), and they needed to wait until after June 1 this year to trade Jalen Ramsey. Even in doing that, Ramsey set a defender record by accounting for $35.86MM in dead cap (spread between 2025 and ’26).
With Ramsey dead money at nearly $21MM next year, having Tagovailoa’s seismic sum hit the cap will make for a difficult task as McDaniel and a to-be-determined GM attempt to recover. Tagovailoa played the lead on-field role in the Dolphins securing back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since its 1997-2001 run of postseason appearances, but McDaniel appears set to outlast the QB in South Beach.
As we look set to see plenty of defense-based coaches generate HC interest on the upcoming carousel, keeping McDaniel makes sense due to his offensive acumen. McDaniel played the lead role in turning Tagovailoa around, with Tyreek Hill being a rather notable part of that effort, and did memorably test the Bills — in a three-point wild-card loss — with third-stringer Skylar Thompson at the helm. It appears McDaniel will be given a chance to see if he can develop another quarterback. It remains a mystery, barring a surprising Ewers stretch-run effort that convinces the Dolphins to stand down at the position, who that player will be if Tua is indeed jettisoned.
No team will be willing to pay the full Tagovailoa freight in a trade, per Jones. If Miami is to move on, it will need to eat a sizable portion of the QB’s $54MM 2026 guarantee in a trade. If Tagovailoa is on the Dolphins’ roster by March 13, a $3MM 2027 guarantee vests as well. Any action on the contract should naturally be expected before that date.
The prospect of McDaniel being paired with a new GM injects risk regarding timelines. Teams have begun to steer their operations toward HC-GM alignment in recent years, though the Bears are having success despite Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson arriving at different points. The Jaguars and Raiders fired their GMs (Trent Baalke, Tom Telesco) for alignment purposes. It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins’ GM search unfolds with the to-be-determined exec being tied to McDaniel.
It will be considered likely the Dolphins hire an outside GM, but Jones adds interim boss Champ Kelly will receive an interview. Kelly was close to earning the Raiders’ GM job in 2024, only to be kept in the assistant GM role once Telesco was hired, and is respected around the league. Kelly interviewed for the Jags’ job this past offseason and met about the Panthers’ vacancy in 2024. He has been the Dolphins’ interim leader since Grier’s Halloween exit. Kelly oversaw the trade of Jaelan Phillips for a third-round pick; the veteran exec also kept Jaylen Waddle at the deadline, hiking up the Bills’ price due to their AFC East status.
The Dolphins are also considering splitting up their GM role in a sense. They have given SVP of football and business administration Brandon Shore more responsibility post-Grier, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Both Breer and Jones point to a potential setup in which McDaniel, Shore and a GM report to Stephen Ross, with Breer going as far as to say there is a “good chance” this setup will be in place in Miami come 2026.
Serving as the Dolphins’ cap chief, Shore has been with the franchise for 16 years. He has been in his current role since 2021. Being a key part of the Tagovailoa extension (four years, $212.4MM) the team now appears interested in escaping, Shore making a move up the ladder after that development certainly shows his sturdy organizational standing. Shore’s presence could well be a factor in the Dolphins’ GM pursuit as well, should the Dolphins truly be interested in an arrangement in which two or three staffers report directly to ownership.
Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Likely To Keep Job
Don’t look now, but the Dolphins have turned it around.
Mike McDaniel‘s squad has won four games in a row and five of their last six. The offense has looked good in spurts with at least 30 points three times in that stretch, but the defense has been the highlight. The Dolphins allowed 28 points in their loss to the Ravens – many of which came off offensive turnovers – and has not allowed more than 17 otherwise. They have also forced 10 turnovers in their last six matchups.
Miami’s turnaround has quieted the chatter around the team parting ways with McDaniel. Those prognostications seemed to be a reflection of the Dolphins’ poor performance more than their desire to move on from the 42-year-old head coach. Reports out of Miami consistently indicated that McDaniel could be retained in 2026 regardless of the team’s finish.
That decision, of course, lies with owner Stephen Ross. His vision for the Dolphins’ future will shape what appears to be a pivotal offseason for the franchise. In the past, he has seemed willing to tank and rebuild the roster, but he does not seem inclined to do so now. Ross fired general manager Chris Grier before the trade deadline partially because Grier wanted to tear down the roster and restart, per Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.
If Ross isn’t looking to rebuild, then it stands to reason that he will keep McDaniel for at least one more season. The Dolphins are already stuck with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for 2026 due to his untradeable contract, so they might as well retain the coach they hired to pair with him.
That is a common perspective around the league, according to La Canfora, as even teams who are in need of a quarterback will not want to take on his $54MM guaranteed compensation for 2026. The Dolphins seem poised to run it back with McDaniel and Tagovailoa, which may give them one last chance to save their jobs. However, Ross could already have given up on this iteration of the Dolphins and may be waiting for the 2027 offseason when he can cleanly move onto a new head coach and quarterback at the same time.
Ross’ decision on Grier’s replacement will also be a key factor in the Dolphins’ offseason. They will likely get renewed interest in assets like Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane, but McDaniel may not want to move on from key cogs in his offensive scheme. Moving those players would indicate that McDaniel and Tagovailoa are having a lame duck year with very little chance of sticking around in 2027.