If Mike McDaniel is feeling the pressure of keeping his job, it doesn't sound like he is too bothered by it, but at the same time, he isn't saying he isn't on the hot seat.
McDaniel met with the media, and Chris Perkins asked him about his job security, which he hasn't had to deal with since arriving almost three seasons ago. The Miami Dolphins' failures in 2024 have put a new kind of spotlight on the head coach.
McDaniel's reply to the question doesn't come off quite as confident as one might have expected while trying to debunk any thoughts on the subject.
"I'm very comfortable with the realities within the profession I've chosen. The alternative is to feel entitled. You know what it is when you sign up for it. I'm not worried about it in the slightest," said McDaniel, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
McDaniel could have simply said "no," but at the same time, it wouldn't be McDaniel if he gave a simple answer. So, is he on the proverbial hot seat? Probably not, but there is pressure growing for the Dolphins to start doing more than they are.
If Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat, what seat is Chris Grier sitting on?
While McDaniel may not be worried about something he technically can't control, the fact that the questions are starting to be asked is an indication that his future with the franchise could be placed under a microscope.
Most believe McDaniel's future is safe, regardless of the outcome of the final three weeks, but he will enter the 2025 season coaching for his job. McDaniel got the kiss-of-death endorsement from owner Stephen Ross earlier this year when he got an extension. Ross had done that twice before and fired his coaches the following season.
It might be hard to fathom, but there is the possibility that Ross will make a change with his coach after the 2025 season if he doesn't this year, leaving Grier in place as the general manager. Fans would be fuming if that happened, but it is a possibility. If McDaniel does go this year, the coaching search could get interesting.
For now, the Dolphins can only control how they prepare and play against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, and McDaniel is right. He can't worry about what he can't control.