Many believed the Miami Dolphins were set to fire head coach Mike McDaniel at various points of the season. Whether it was after their 0-3 start or later falling to 1-6, it felt like McDaniel was on the outs in South Beach. Yet, that moment never came, not during the regular season.
Now, as ‘Black Monday’ has arrived in the NFL, when many head coaches are fired, many are wondering what the plan is with coach McDaniel. It seems as though the Dolphins have already made up their mind.
According to coach McDaniel himself, the Dolphins are already involving him in their process to hire a new general manager to replace Chris Grier, who was fired at the end of October. Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman has also been brought in to help identify the next GM of the Dolphins.
Miami’s already gotten to work. They’ve requested interviews with the 49ers to interview several GM candidates. Those include RJ Gillen, Tariq Ahmad, and Josh Williams. All have previous ties to coach McDaniel’s days in San Francisco.
In other words, it appears McDaniel’s job as the Dolphins’ head coach is safe heading into the 2026 season. Yet, that doesn’t mean he won’t still be on a short leash if Miami gets out to another slow start.
Thus, after a 35-33 record following four seasons, McDaniel will get another chance to either improve or worsen his record. Though, finding a QB who can be more consistent will be paramount to Miami’s success.
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