Will the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel? Why the Miami coach isn’t on the rocks despite the disappointing season

by Junna Base November 12, 2024

The Miami Dolphins are expected to be one of the top contenders in the AFC entering 2024. That narrative took a major turn when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the final concussion of his career.

After the Week 1 win, Tagovailoa was out for several weeks in Week 2. Miami lost three straight games before picking up a 15-10 win over the New England Patriots in Week 5. However, the Dolphins have lost three straight to the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills – the last two of which have Tagovailoa back under center.

Miami is now 2-6 heading into a Week 10 “Monday Night Football” game against the surging Los Angeles Rams, only slightly better than the New Orleans Saints’ 2-7 record when they released Dennis Allen before Week 10 have. If Miami continues to struggle, will the front office fire McDaniel?

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Will the Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel?

Since Stephen M. Ross purchased the Dolphins in 2009, the team has had five head coaches. Tony Sparano was the coach when Ross bought the team and he stayed until 2011. Then it was Joe Philbin for four years, Adam Gase for three years and Brian Flores for three years before McDaniel took over in 2022.

Gase had a falling out with the team in his third season and Flores was fired, which was supposed to be the precursor to Miami, then hired Sean Payton, which didn’t happen. It’s fair to wonder if the third year will be a curse for McDaniel as well.

McDaniel was a first-time head coach when the Dolphins hired him. Before being hired, he was the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers for one season. On the one hand, the 2-6 record so far this season looks bad regardless of the injuries, but losing a quarterback like Tagovailoa is clearly something of an excuse for him.

McDaniel has earned some goodwill and forgiveness for the injuries. In Tagovailoa’s absence, Miami relied on Skyler Thompson and Tyler Huntley at center, but neither of them comes close to Tagovailoa’s caliber as a starting quarterback. McDaniel has yet to bring Miami an AFC East Division title, but he keeps the team playing consistently when healthy.

If McDaniel and the Dolphins win just a handful of games down the stretch, McDaniel could get the boot, but given his success so far and the cumulative injuries, he likely still has another season as the Dolphins’ head coach on the horizon.

Mike McDaniel contract

When he was hired in 2022, McDaniel initially received a four-year contract. The front office was impressed with him in the first two years of his contract and reportedly signed him to a multi-year contract extension. The head coach’s contract was initially valid until 2025, but with the multi-year extension, he is now expected to be tied to Miami through the 2027 season.

McDaniel has also designed his offense with specific players to execute his game plan. Tyreek Hill is currently under contract through 2026, Jaylen Waddle through 2028, Tua Tagovailoa through 2028 and De’Von Achane through 2026. Miami has designed its offense around McDaniel’s plan and the front office will likely give him at least another year without devastating injuries, to see what he can do.