Ryan Clark just exposed what really led to Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins exit

The Miami Dolphins' decision to fire head coach Mike McDaniel was not entirely a surprise to the NFL world, but a very fair question at this point is a very simple one: Why?

The Dolphins initially hired McDaniel to come in and make dynamic changes to the offense as well as put quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in positions to succeed. And for a couple of years, it looked like he had done exactly that. The Dolphins' offense went from being 22nd in scoring in the last year of the Brian Flores era to 11th in McDaniel's first year at the helm.

Unfortunately, as it goes in the NFL, McDaniel wasn't able to take the Dolphins where ownership wanted them to go, and it wasn't his fault. At least, that's what Ryan Clark of ESPN said in defense of McDaniel. He said the primary reason McDaniel was fired is the fact that the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa in the first place.

Ryan Clark says Dolphins drafting Tua Tagovailoa is the reason Mike McDaniel was fired

"Mike McDaniel showed that he could coach football. Mike McDaniel showed that he could lead men...Let's be real. We are here today with the Miami Dolphins as an organization because they drafted Tua Tagovailoa. Not because Tua Tagovailoa isn't talented, not because he didn't deserve to be drafted there, but because of the injuries. Because of some of what we've seen since he got his money."

- Ryan Clark

That right there is a statement and a half. Clark is placing the blame completely on Tua Tagovailoa for this, and that does feel a bit deserved. As harsh as his words are here, and as many sides to every story as there always are, this is not an incorrect assessment by Clark.

The Dolphins are already going to be starting fresh at the quarterback position in the 2026 offseason, and we knew that was coming with or without McDaniel. But as general manager interviews have been ongoing, it seems clear now that McDaniel was "interviewing" to stay just as much as he might have been giving input on GM candidates.

Having a shared vision, as the Dolphins know all too well, is imperative, especially at the quarterback position. That was the biggest reason, maybe the only true reason, why the Dolphins fired Brian Flores in the first place. They could not share the vision for Tua Tagovailoa.

What's really interesting about Clark's comments is what he had to say about what we've seen since Tua "got his money." Now that is a fascinating wrinkle to all of this. The Dolphins gave Tua a contract worth over $212 million back in the Summer of 2024, and since that time, Tua's production has fallen off a cliff, and he was benched late this season for Quinn Ewers.

The Dolphins no longer have to decide to stay tied to McDaniel because they are starting fresh at quarterback, so they're going to start fresh everywhere. New general manager, new head coach, new quarterback, and a completely new era for the team.