Miami Dolphins fans are fed up with the way the team is coached, but more importantly, they are over the way the team is being prepared for football games.
Most fans are not seeing a pathway for Mike McDaniel to survive the season. However, despite pressure mounting on McDaniel following the team's disastrous start to the season, one NFL insider doesn't see it happening.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that he doesn't believe Stephen Ross will fire him, at least not now.
"Stephen Ross, the Dolphins owner, does not want to fire Mike McDaniel. He doesn't," Rapoport told NFL on Prime. "He wants this to work. He likes him. He believes in him. He has invested in him."
Dolphins owner is holding out hope for Mike McDaniel while most fans have given up
Rapoport was asked about McDaniel's future, and while he believes that things can change at some point, he doesn't see that as being imminent.
Rapoport points out that McDaniel has two more years left on his contract, with $19 million left to pay. This has been a problem for Ross, who continues to invest his money in coaches that can't cut it. In the past, Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, and, ahead of the 2024 season, Mike McDaniel received extensions. A year after receiving extensions, both Sparano and Philbin were fired.
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"Whenever he has had to, whenever possible, [Ross] has been patient," Rapoport said. "My sense is nothing is imminent for the Dolphins on that front. However, there's a caveat: that can change if fans stop showing up to the stadium, or if players stop playing for him, that can alter the situation."
Dolphins fans are not likely to walk away from the stadium. They are emotionally invested in the team, but something has to give. On Thursday night, McDaniel's Dolphins looked better than they have all season, but it wasn't enough.
The play of the Dolphins on a short week will keep McDaniel safe for a while longer, but there is a pathway to his departure on the horizon without wins. Rapoport may be correct about what might change down the road, but he is also accurate that McDaniel isn't going anywhere right now.