Dolphins legend pushes back on Raheem Mostert's Mike McDaniel take

When Mike McDaniel was fired, many pointed to his lack of leadership over his team. He didn't hold players accountable until it was too late. It was a mess, but one former Miami Dolphins player who never played for the coach doesn't think McDaniel was the problem.

Raheem Mostert had his best NFL season in 2023 when the Dolphins were at the apex of the last 20 years. Miami's team was great until injuries depleted the roster in the final month. Mostert returned in 2024, but his role was significantly less as the team turned to De'Von Achane.

Mostert recently spoke about his time with the Dolphins, and specifically, his coach. It wasn't good. Mostert didn't see a leader in McDaniel. He saw a coach that was too soft. Landry disagrees.

Jarvis Landry steps up to support former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel

It's just an outside opinion, considering Landry didn't play under him. He didn't know what McDaniel was like in the locker room, on the practice field, or how he ran his team. Mostert may have had the inside information, but Landry brings up some good points.

"What was the problem with the Miami Dolphins? It goes to show you the problem is also a culture problem. To me, this tells me they didn't have enough leaders in the locker room. "

Jarvis Landry

Landry is 100% accurate in this, as it relates to the lack of leadership. Miami's struggles can be directed at players who should have been leaders, but were not. Tua Tagovailoa was never the kind of leader one would expect from a starting quarterback.

Jordyn Brooks was a vocal leader on defense, and Zach Sieler was a quiet leader, but two players don't define the culture of a team. When Tagovailoa called out players for not attending player-only meetings, it rubbed many of his teammates the wrong way. Something that the quarterback acknowledged should have stayed behind closed doors.

This has been a problem for decades, especially under Chris Grier. But it also proves Mostert's point to a degree. Landry said a coach shouldn't be yelling at the players. He points out that Andy Reid doesn't seem to be that type of coach, but Reid has players who control what happens in the locker room. In other words, leaders.

Under Grier, nothing seemed to fit within the structure of an NFL team. Players that were added either in free agency or the draft were not always players that were ready to step in and take control from the inside. Making this worse was the fact that Stephen Ross and Grier hired coaches with little experience in the position. Another knock on Jeff Hafley's hire.

It will be debated whether or not Brian Flores was the right pick. The way he left the team has been a black eye to the organization, but when he was here, he held his players accountable, and when they butted heads (looking at you, Minkah Fitzpatrick), he sent them out of Miami.

Landry knows all about that as well. Adam Gase was one of those coaches. When he butted heads with the WR, he threatened to trade him, then he did.

McDaniel is a good football coach, but whether or not he is a good head coach remains to be seen. He wasn't in Miami for a number of reasons, but his time in South Florida should be a learning experience.