Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is a genius in the realm of offense. The players say so, other coaches say so, and the media believes it to be true as well. Fans, on the other hand, are not sure. McDaniel will reward this year with a big bag of lumpy coal.
There won't be any playoffs for the Dolphins this year. The 25-year playoff victory drought will continue. Fans hear about that every year; it's one of the longest droughts in any of the four major sports.
McDaniel's decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa after Week 15 made sense, but for those fans wanting to see a coaching change at the end of the year, Stephen Ross may deliver the opposite.
Mike McDaniel's coaching tenure with the Miami Dolphins may not be over just yet
The Dolphins need to show they are heading in the right direction. Here is a hint: they are not. Miami is in a horrible situation if we are being honest. Tagovailoa's contract is so bloated that it may take three seasons to get out of it. Tyreek Hill has probably played his last game for the Dolphins. He carries an additional $16 million dead cap hit.
Bradley Chubb and Austin Jackson are now likely to return because the Dolphins can't afford their salaries being on the dead money list. 2026 is not going to be a good year for Miami. We should all now understand that. Maybe Ross should keep McDaniel for another season.
The 2027 draft is looking good for the Dolphins. They will have a tough schedule next year, will likely have a huge quarterback decision to make this offseason, a potential coaching and GM change, and roster cuts they can't avoid just to get under the salary cap.
McDaniel isn't just delivering coal to the Dolphins' fan base this year: he is making sure they get it for next year as well.
Fans want to know if there is a solution. There really isn't, not yet anyway. The Broncos suffered through a horrible first year under Sean Payton (Damn you, Stephen Ross). They are not leading the AFC for the top playoff seed. The problem? There is no coach like Payton available right now.
Running it back with Kelly and McDaniel makes more sense, but the trade-off is the realization this team isn't going to be nearly as competitive next season, and that would mean the hamster wheel will just continue to turn. Coal indeed.