The first head coaching spot in the league has opened as the Tennessee Titans announced just minutes ago that they would be moving on from head coach Brain Callahan after a brutal 1-5 start. There are five 1-5 teams across the NFL, and one that’s winless. One of those five include the Mike McDaniel led Miami Dolphins.
This firing marks a psuedo accomplishment for Mike McDaniel and that is, of course, that he was not the first head coach fired in the 2025 season, as was so vehemently predicted.
So what was it that allowed McDaniel to hang around while he counter part, Callahan, was discarded.
“These decisions are never easy, and they become more difficult when they involve people of great character,” read a statement released by Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker. “We are grateful for Brian’s investment in the Titans and Tennessee community during his tenure as head coach. We thank him and his family for being exemplary ambassadors of the Tennessee Titans.”
There are a lot of similarities between Callahan and McDaniel. Both were given their first head coaching opportunity by their current team. Both grew up on NFL practice fields and around NFL coaching staffs.
But when push came to shove, Callahan’s 4-19 record exemplified that he had no history of winning in the NFL.
McDaniel’s record conversely, is getting worse every year, but still in the green. He started out 9-8 in his first season. The next year he went 11-6 earning a second consecutive playoff berth. Last season he went 8-9 dealing with injuries at every turn and this season has been more of the same.
However, he has a proven track record of winning football.
Mike McDaniel’s Seat Is Extremely Hot
I personally am in the party of “not so fast my friend” when it comes to firing Mike McDaniel. It’s hard to go 11-6 in the National Football League and his 2022 Dolphins‘ were redefining the way offense is played. He has a brilliant offensive mind that is being overshadowed by several short comings within the organization.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that he needs to start winning fast or else he will punch his ticket to Callahan-ville.
“With the reports of a lack of player discipline and visible sections of empty seats at home in Miami, the clock has to be ticking on McDaniel’s tenure,” writes ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. “The good news? The Dolphins are about to leave town for a two-game road trip with winnable games against the Browns and Falcons… It doesn’t feel like things are safe for the 42-year-old coach.”
What Does McDaniel Have To Do To Save His Job
It appears that Mike McDaniel is less guilty on the football field than he is in the court of public opinion. He has a frontward facing position, this means that when your cornerback trips and falls with 20 seconds left in the game and allows the opposing team to get into field goal range with no timeouts left, it is on you.
After dropping back to back winnable games, the Fins are 1-5 when they could easily be 3-3. They have five very winnable games remaining. This includes the Saints, the Bengals, the Browns, the Jets, and the Patriots. They have to win all of those, no questions asked.
Next he has to pull of an upset. Whether that be the Commanders, the Ravens, or the Bills, he has to win a game he shouldn’t. If McDaniel can get this football team to win six of the last 11, I think he can live to see another draft.
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