If Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is not on the hot seat entering the 2025 season, it may not take long for him to get there.
The NFL wants to know how good McDaniel is. Three of Miami's first four games on its 2025 schedule are against AFC East division rivals, and two of those will be in primetime.
The Dolphins' rivals have a unique opportunity to come together over Weeks 2, 3, and 4, to send owner Stephen Ross a message: McDaniel isn't a good football coach. On the other hand, McDaniel has the opportunity to send all three of his rivals a big message as well: "I'm not going anywhere!"
Miami won't have to wait long to figure out its place in the division this year. The offseason questions, which included coaching changes in two of the four division teams, will be answered quickly. If the Dolphins can't beat the New York Jets and New England Patriots early in the season, they don't deserve to be in the playoff discussion.
Miami Dolphins need a hot start in 2025 to quiet AFC East rival talk of seeding changes
This year's schedule is set up so Miami hits their division teams quickly; they won't face the Buffalo Bills again until Week 10. The Jets won't be seen again until Week 14, and the Patriots will host Miami in Week 18 to wrap the season.
If the Dolphins struggle to win those games, or lose to all three of them, the Dolphins' rivals will likely put McDaniel on notice, and in a hole he may not be able to climb out of. The first division tie-breaker is wins/losses in the division. Miami needs to come out of the first month with at least two wins.
The Dolphins have to take care of their own games and not worry about what the rest of the division is doing, and that makes getting off to a fast start imperative as it relates to the AFC East.
The Bills are expected to win the division, but a win in Week 3 would put more pressure on Buffalo and take some of the pressure off Miami. Regardless, the Dolphins and their AFC East division rivals will get a quick look at each other, but these teams are going to look much different later in the season.