The Miami Dolphins made headlines on Friday with the announcement that they had parted ways with their longtime general manager, Chris Grier.
Shortly thereafter, it was reported that head coach Mike McDaniel would stay on through the end of the season.
Now we are learning that it could be longer than that.
Stephen Ross could keep Mike McDaniel on as Dolphins head coach past this year
Grier's departure was a long time coming. It was expected and at the same time unexpected since it took so long to happen that it was a wonder if it ever would. Naturally, speculation began brewing that McDaniel would be the next one to go. After all, many (including myself) thought that he'd be the first one shown the door.
It came as no surprise, though, when ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed that McDaniel would remain the head coach for the rest of the season. Given how the team has performed overall, it's possible that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wanted to keep him on as a form of tanking the rest of the year. And that may still be the case, but a recent report contradicts that view.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported the following morning that Ross "remains committed" to McDaniel as the Dolphins' head coach.
"It was explained by a team source that Ross is not simply holding on to McDaniel as a placeholder before an offseason shake-up but genuinely hopes to see McDaniel keep this group competing as Miami simultaneously begins shaping a refreshed vision for its front office," reports Russini. "There is still confidence from ownership and the locker room that McDaniel is the right coach for the Dolphins, despite the team’s 2-7 record."
In his released statement following Grier's departure from the club, Ross did say, "We must improve -- in 2025, 2026 and beyond -- and it needs to start right now."
By "right now," this could be Ross' way of giving McDaniel one last shot at proving he's the right man for the job. That, with Grier out of the picture and the NFL trade deadline soon to pass, McDaniel can simply focus on turning the Dolphins around.
Unfortunately, history under Ross' tenure as owner tells us a different story, and this latest report from Russini hints that nothing's really changed. That regardless of how the rest of this season shakes out, McDaniel will still be on the sidelines for Miami in 2026.
In every rebuild attempt under Ross, it's been done with a half-in approach, leading to failing results. And if the Dolphins plan on keeping the head coach after parting ways with the GM, it will prove that Ross still hasn't learned his lesson.
Ross' debacle with front offices goes back to the days of Jeff Ireland and the late Tony Sparano. It was publicly known that Ross wanted to bring in Jim Harbaugh, from his alma mater Michigan, as HC to replace Sparano. However, that failed, and he attempted to convince the public that he truly believed in Sparano.
But then, in 2012, Joe Philbin was hired as head coach, while Ireland remained the GM. In January 2014, Ireland was relieved of his duties in place of Dennis Hickey...while Philbin stayed on. And so the cycle has continued ever since. Either the general manager is let go or the head coach -- but never both.
Under Grier's tenure as general manager, we've seen three head coaches. But with McDaniel staying on as Dolphins HC for the time being, the cycle could continue going into the 2026 season. If that holds true, it already screams disaster for the Dolphins organization.
Tua Tagovailoa's impact on Mike McDaniel staying
One substantial reason behind keeping McDaniel on -- and potentially into next season -- is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his $212.4 million contract. Several signs point to Tua not being Miami's franchise QB for the foreseeable future.
While he may not be the cause of all of the Dolphins' problems, he's also not the solution. And with a massive contract like Tagovailoa has, you're expected to be the solution now and then. His comments in the press don't help matters much either.
Unfortunately, Tua's massive contract could mean that he stays in South Florida for at least one more season. Outside of a wild trade, moving Tagovailoa to another team is almost impossible. Likewise, cutting him would leave the Dolphins with $99+ million in dead money.
You read that right.
So, the Dolphins are essentially stuck with Tua unless they're willing to eat the dead money (they should). And as a result, they may feel tied into keeping the man who helped influence Tagovailoa's deal getting done.
This line of thinking keeps the seesaw going from one side to the other. There will be GM candidates unwilling to take the job if they cannot hire their own coach. Others will be drawn away if they don't believe in Tua as the franchise QB but are forced to keep him on.
Whatever the reason, it's going to refrain a lot of great candidates from even entering their names in the mix. And as a result, it will give the impression that the Dolphins settled on a new general manager -- just as they did with McDaniel as head coach.
The Dolphins need a clean slate, period. The general manager and head coach have to go. This is already going to be a challenging rebuild. Not allowing a new GM to pick his own head coach will only make it worse.
Sadly, if the reports are true, Miami could be looking at another rebuild in three years square in the face -- and probably still without a playoff win since the Clinton administration. Even the reports being out there are evidence enough that Ross himself needs to step aside and let his daughters take over.