The Miami Dolphins have already parted ways with longtime GM Chris Grier following their terrible start to the 2025 season, which has made many fans wonder just how long of a leash head coach Mike McDaniel is going to have after yet another subpar season.
With Miami entering the fourth year of McDaniel in charge and that elusive playoff win looking further away than ever before, logic would dictate that Miami's new GM would kick McDaniel out of town in order to bring in someone they trust.
However, those who are quick to bury McDaniel may have overlooked the fact that those with some pull in the Miami organization might be excited by what the former 49ers offensive coordinator brings to the table. It turns out the 2025 season might not be the end of McDaniels after all, per ESPN insider Dan Graziano.
"There's a strong sense from people I've talked to that team owner Stephen Ross likes and believes in McDaniel and would like to see him succeed," Graziano said. "It could come down to the way the Dolphins finish the season and the decision about who the next GM is in Miami. But it is not out of the question that McDaniel continues to coach the Dolphins in 2026."
Dolphins may not fire Mike McDaniel despire brutal 2025 season
After a 1-6 start in which the only win came against a rebuilding Jets team, McDaniel and the Dolphins have won three of their last four games. Somehow, McDaniels still has his guys playing hard in a lost season.
Those who defend McDaniel will claim that he was put in an unwinnable position by Grier's poor roster construction. With a bottom-three unit on the offensive line, a lack of quality on the defensive line, and a borderline UFL-level secondary, that isn't a totally outrageous argument.
If the Dolphins are going to try and either salvage what is left of the declining Tua Tagovailoa or reboot with a younger quarterback, keeping the offensive whiz kid might be better than starting anew or possibly bringing in someone with a defensive background.
While McDaniel is still very much on the hot seat and deserves a good chunk of the blame for how this season has turned out, there seems to be a groundswell of support for giving him one more year with a roster that can actually make some noise in the AFC.