The Miami Dolphins fell to 1-5 on the year after another fourth-quarter collapse. Now, the fallout is hitting the organization from a multitude of directions. One of them unsurprisingly is pointed in the direction of Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel. Ironically, though, it's coming from someone who could very well replace McDaniel on Miami's sidelines as early as next season.
Current ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan hasn't been afraid to mince words for the majority of his career, and certainly not when it comes to discussing the current Dolphins head coach.
Whether that's because he wants to hold the job that McDaniel currently has remains in question, but Ryan was brutally honest on ESPN's Get Up following the Dolphins' heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rex Ryan just hit Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel with the ultimate direspect
🎥 Rex Ryan on Mike McDaniel: “He’s not inspiring anybody, nobody!… he’s not a damn leader of men, he’s not a head coach, it’s pretty obvious.” (@GetUpESPN) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/YjXRtrnTJ0
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) October 13, 2025
Ryan did admit to going over the top for calling McDaniel "nerd boy" earlier in the year, but made no bones about his lack of ability as an NFL head coach. And to his point, Ryan referenced how McDaniel is losing the locker room and "not inspiring anybody." He also pointed out how quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is going public by calling out the coaching staff and players.
Ryan essentially gave Tagovailoa a pass by indicating that the Dolphins QB has tried to mend things behind the scenes, but that hasn't worked, so he went public with it. That's speculation on Ryan's behalf, though, and it appears that Tagovailoa's teammates aren't happy with how he went about things.
Yet, the rest of what Ryan said in the short clip may be harsh, but was otherwise accurate. Ryan bluntly said that the defense "stinks," and you only need to go see Miami's run defense to see that it's accurate. A defensive-minded coach himself, Ryan knows that there are talented players on that side of the ball, but it's been terrible to watch this year.
Rumors of Rex Ryan as next Dolphins head coach
It's no secret that Ryan doesn't like McDaniel, at least not at this professional level. What the reasoning behind it is remains a mystery, but it could just simply be because Ryan wants his job. And there is a possibility that he'll get it.
Much to the chagrin of most of the fan base, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly may consider Ryan as a potential head coach replacement. While a strong majority of Dolphins fans would tell you that they want their next head coach to be someone already with head coaching experience, Ryan is likely not at the top of the list -- or even on it at all.
Ryan coached in the NFL (and in the AFC East) for eight seasons, beginning with the New York Jets in 2009. He led the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons with the team. New York never finished above .500 in his four seasons with the team after that, though, and failed to reach the postseason in that time.
In 2015, Ryan was hired by the Buffalo Bills but was fired with one game remaining in the 2016 season after a 15-16 career record with the team. Overall, Ryan has a 61-66 record as a head coach, which isn't going to inspire many of the South Florida fans.
Ryan may have more experience than McDaniel, and the Dolphins should hire someone who's been an HC before as the next one to man the sidelines. The days of giving guys like McDaniel, Brian Flores, Adam Gase, Joe Philbin, etc., their first head coaching jobs need to be over. Yet, Ryan hasn't coached in a decade, and I doubt he can win over a locker room in today's game given his history.
Miami should pursue a tough-nosed football coach like Ryan as the next man up, but more intriguing options are expected to be available.