After two fumbles in three games, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel had seen enough. He made a big decision that better has reverberated throughout the locker room.
McDaniel had to do something to keep control of his team or take the risk of losing it. For two and a half years, McDaniel has been seen more as the buddy-buddy coach who doesn't make it very long in the business.
After a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, McDaniel made two decisions. One, he released linebacker and former team captain David Long Jr. Then, he benched a player that you can say he is friends with, Raheem Mostert.
The Dolphins' head coach met with the media this week and had to answer the tough question about his reasoning behind these decisions.
Mike McDaniel makes it clear why Raheem Mostert has lost snaps in recent weeks
"It's important that people understand you are entitled to nothing in this world," said McDaniel. "Playing time is solved by players on the field, and the best players have to play, and it's my job to follow through with that. I don't look at someone lost something, I look at who earned the opportunities."
McDaniel stopped short of saying Mostert's demotion was due to the fumbles, but the timing would indicate otherwise. He is right, though. Mostert was not producing on the field like he did last season, and Jaylen Wright wasn't drafted to sit on the bench.
Wright has to get playing time, and he won't leapfrog De'Von Achane because he is the workhorse runner in this offense. That used to be Mostert, but Achane showed he is the guy to handle the larger load.
While McDaniel didn't say it was an issue with holding onto the ball, Mostert's play has been slightly off this year. He hasn't run with the same conviction he did last season, and it's not the first time that a running back had an incredible year and then didn't the following season. The question that needs to be answered is what happens to Mostert after the 2025 season?