It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind in Miami for the last 24 hours. The Dolphins were trounced 28-6 at home against the Baltimore Ravens, and then news broke this morning that general manager Chris Grier and Miami had mutually agreed to part ways.
One would think that after the whooping the Dolphins took last night coupled with the departure of their general manager, the head coach would be packing his bags as well.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on your stance on him) the Dolphins announced that their enigmatic head coach Mike McDaniel will remain in his position for the remainder of this season.
NFL insider Adam Schefter broke the news on X, and there were two key words in his tweet: “for the remainder of the season at least.”
Still one of the younger coaches in the NFL, Miami clearly feels confident in McDaniel to right the ship, be it this season or somewhere down the road.
Decision to Stick With McDaniel Controversial Among Dolphin Fans
The conversation on social media following the breaking news has been a wild 50-50 split of people in support of their kooky coach and those who would rather see literally anyone else on the sideline moving forward.
Both sides have compelling arguments.
On the supportive side, the argument could be made that McDaniel has been dealt a bad hand in his four seasons as head coach with Miami. Tua Tagovailoa has been hit in the head so many times it’s starting to look like a deformed potato, and with that, he’s missed significant portions of the last few seasons. This season has seen plenty of other Dolphins leave due to injury as well, most notably their star wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
McDaniel did lead the team to the playoffs in his first two seasons, though the team was bounced in the first round both times, by the Buffalo Bills in 2022 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. He and the team have regressed in the two seasons since, leading to a 30-30 record in McDaniel’s tenure in Miami.
Those who oppose McDaniel aren’t wrong to be upset in the decision for him to stay. Yes, he is a bright and creative young coach, but in a league where head coach turnover is the norm, most would be out of a job after the type of regression McDaniel has had in the last couple of seasons.
You wouldn’t be wrong to think a change of leadership would help Miami in the long run, and McDaniel is certainly bright and talented enough to land on his feet elsewhere.
Miami Falls to 2-7 Following Loss to Baltimore
The Dolphins are now 2-7, but an argument could be made that they are better than their record suggests. Of their seven losses, three of them were within one possession and another was a 31-21 final against Buffalo when Miami did hang around until late in the game.
Any positive thinking about this team is ultimately all for naught, though. To even have a punchers chance to sneak into the playoffs, they’d have to go 6-2 at a bare minimum for the rest of the season. With matchups remaining against the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Commanders, you can pretty much chalk this season up if you are a Miami fan.
Who knows, maybe the Dolphins can be that fun and frisky team to play spoiler for playoff contenders in the back-half of the season.
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