The Miami Dolphins have gone from looking like they would be keeping many things the same in 2026, to completely gutting the current regime in the matter of just a few days. A 7-10 season was enough for owner Stephen Ross to make wholesale changes, and the firing of Head Coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday morning was the first domino to fall.
Miami was already firmly into its search for its next General Manager before handing McDaniel his walking papers, but now the pressure is on to secure a candidate so they can pivot to hiring their next HC.
According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, the plan is for that decision to be finalized by Friday, following final interviews on Thursday.
I'm told the Dolphins expect to make a decision on their new GM by tomorrow. They met with interim GM Champ Kelly on Wednesday, and the other three candidates (Chad Alexander, Josh Williams and Jon-Eric Sullivan) flew into South Florida last night for in-person interviews that… https://t.co/0A92Q3kZJx
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 8, 2026
The Miami Dolphins GM decision could make or break their coaching search
The fact that Miami looks poised to make a decision so quickly after McDaniel's firing points to one thing: an interest in one particular HC candidate. There have been numerous reports since the Ravens fired John Harbaugh that the Dolphins could be interested, and those rumors have only intensified since McDaniel's departure.
While they apparently haven't spoken with Harbaugh as of writing, I doubt that stays true for long.
One of the candidates who could potentially land the Dolphins' GM gig is Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, who just so happens to know Harbaugh well from their many years together in Baltimore. If Alexander ends up as their choice, that will only fuel the Harbaugh to Miami rumors even more.
Even if he isn't ultimately chosen for the job, it's hard not to see the correlation between Harbaugh's sudden availability and Ross's change of heart regarding McDaniel. By quickly hiring his next GM, Ross can put all his efforts into securing his preferred HC, whether it be Harbaugh or someone else.
The quicker a new GM is named, the quicker they can get to work fixing this roster as well. With so many cap issues to settle, as well as the glaring issue of Tua Tagovailoa and his contract, the more time they have to put a plan in place to solve them, the better.