The Miami Dolphins should rip a page from Mike Vrabel's playbook on rules and slap their own players with it until they figure it out.
Vrabel was named the head coach of the New England Patriots shortly after the offseason began. Many fans wanted Vrabel to join the Dolphins if Mike McDaniel was given the boot. But that didn't happen, and Vrabel went back to his Patriot roots.
McDaniel has said there is a problem on his roster with discipline. He admitted at the end of the 2024 season that a financial deterrent wasn't working and that some players were still late for meetings. On the field, the Dolphins lacked self-discipline, and it showed in the form of presnap penalties.
McDaniel is a well-liked coach. He is considered a player's coach, but he needs to be an NFL head coach if he wants to keep his job longer than another season. McDaniel needs to stop being everyone's best friend, a guy who looks more like he finally got invited to the big party for the first time.
Vrabel talked about putting the Patriots first. He laid out simple rules to his new team. Be on time, or call, leave your cell phones in your bags, and keep your hoodies pulled down in the meetings. Simple rules, but delivered in a way that lets the players know who is in charge.
Mike McDaniel needs to copy and paste this exact same speech when team meetings start.pic.twitter.com/kMVreqNP8B
— Don Shula Corleone (@DonShulaCorleon) April 9, 2025
Mike McDaniel needs to be more disciplined with the Miami Dolphins if he wants to remain an NFL head coach
McDaniel spoke with Tyreek Hill after his blowout in Week 18. It was kept behind closed doors, but he said they were on the same page, and Hill understood his mistake. It's not the first time, however, fingers have been pointed.
DeShon Elliott called the team out a year after leaving in free agency. He said the team wasn't focused, easily distracted, and soft. Calais Campbell told the media he joined the Dolphins because he heard camp was the easiest. Jordyn Brooks said the team was soft after losing to Green Bay last year.
This all falls on the head coach, the culture he creates, and honestly, it's unclear what kind of culture he has actually created, let alone wanted to.
McDaniel has to do better, and it will only be harder to rein it in after letting out so much buffer, but it may be the only way he turns it around.