Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier will return for the Miami Dolphins in 2025. Fans weren't thrilled when owner Stephen Ross made the announcement shortly after the 2024 season ended.
In all, seven teams began their offseason looking for a new head coach. Some, like the New England Patriots, made a quick decision, while the New Orleans Saints are still exploring their options. What about the Dolphins, though? Did they miss out on the next great head coach or merrily sit back and stick with what they have in an otherwise ho-hum hiring cycle?
While Ross' reasons for keeping his general manager and head coach likely have nothing to do with the availability on the outside, he may have made the smartest move for his franchise, at least as it relates to McDaniel.
Team | New Coach | Previous Coach |
|---|---|---|
Jaguars | Liam Cohen | Doug Pederson |
Patriots | Mike Vrabel | Jerod Mayo |
Raiders | Pete Carroll | Antonio Pierce |
Jets | Aaron Glenn | Robert Saleh |
Cowboys | Brian Schottenheimer | Mike McCarthy |
Bears | Ben Johnson | Matt Eberflus |
Saints | TBD | Dennis Allen |
The Dolphins could have been looking for a new head coach, and right now, the best options still available are Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills, a would-be first-time HC, and Anthony Weaver. The Dolphins could have pursued Robert Saleh to replace McDaniel, but that may not have been the best choice so soon after being fired by the Jets.
Sticking with Mike McDaniel ended up as the best decision for the Dolphins
The biggest surprise is Carroll's return to the sideline. Vrabel was a choice many Dolphins fans would have supported, but the other coaches are all first-time head coaches, and fans don't want another Stephen Ross attempt to find the next Don Shula.
While not a popular opinion, Mike McCarthy would make sense for the Dolphins and Ross, but he will benefit from sitting out another season if he doesn't end up with the Saints.
What Stephen Ross needs is an evaluator, not a trusted companion. Ross implicitly trusts Grier, and that is not how to run a football team because it blinds you to inadequacies. What he should have done was let Grier go or assign him to a different position within the company and hire a new GM.
As many Dolphins fans will point out, the problem is that Ross doesn't have a great track record looking for GMs. No one will forget the incredibly embarrassing search in 2014 that ended with the hiring of Dennis Hickey.
A new GM should have been hired with one season to evaluate McDaniel and then make his own internal decision about the coach, either later in 2025 or after the season. Then, if the GM wanted to move on, he could bring in his own choice if he was not comfortable with McDaniel.
However, fans shouldn't be upset by this year's NFL GM/HC cycle. There are no can't-miss candidates for Ross to throw money at. There are no can't-miss GMs who he would want to bring in and start over with. The Jets and Jaguars hired their head coaches without having hired a GM first, which is typically not a good way to do business.
While fans didn't love Ross' decision, it might be the best one to set up success for the future. The Dolphins' salary cap is structured to be a problem in 2025, as Grier invested in this current roster. If this team can't win, Ross can start over. The next GM shouldn't have the cap struggles Grier is faced with now and will have more flexibility and freedom with roster turnover.