Mike McDaniel, the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, came into the league and made an immediate impact. In his first two seasons, he led the Dolphins to back-to-back playoff appearances. Coach McDaniel put the whole league on notice and had the Dolphins looking like a true Super Bowl contender. Sadly, the NFL is a ruthless league where the tides can turn in the blink of an eye. As the 2025 season gets underway, Mike McDaniel has found himself in the hot seat.
Following a 0-2 start for the Dolphins, many are questioning McDaniel’s coaching ability. In Week 1, the Dolphins suffered a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The final score was 33-8, and many fans began to voice their distress.
After this loss, the team called a players-only meeting. This is a terrible sign for a team to be having meetings like this after just one week. After another tough loss to the Patriots in Week 2, fans were not shy about voicing their displeasure. A fan even bought a banner to fly over the stadium that said “Fire McDaniel.”
Miami currently ranks near the bottom of the league in points allowed and yards surrendered per game. Despite all of the hate, McDaniel remains calm. He has publicly stated that worrying about job security would distract him from performing his job effectively.
Even through the struggles, the team remains committed to having McDaniels back, with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and fullback Alec Ingold defending his leadership and emphasizing the team’s faith in him. However, the front office doesn’t have the same faith. Owner Stephen Ross has previously emphasized the importance of results over consistency, suggesting that patience is wearing thin. The Dolphins’ failure to win a playoff game under McDaniel, coupled with last season’s 8-9 record, tells a story of a coaching change soon to come unless something drastic changes within the team.
The next few weeks are critical for Coach McDaniel. With matchups against division rivals like the Buffalo Bills, McDaniel’s ability to rally his team and secure wins will likely determine his fate. While his job isn’t officially in jeopardy yet, the margin for error is extremely low. In the cutthroat environment of the NFL, Mike McDaniel needs to find a way to start winning fast.
