The Miami Dolphins are one of the most interesting teams to watch as the season progresses. Head coach Mike McDaniel finds himself on the hot seat as the season approaches.
“All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote.
The Dolphins’ culture has been as toxic as they come over the past couple of seasons.
“Except this isn't a one-year issue with Miami. Set aside the iffy football decisions, like Grier's inability to field a stable offensive line or properly manage high-profile salaries over the course of a nine-year tenure featuring exactly zero playoff victories. Just from a culture perspective, Miami has been the NFL equivalent of an accident—a controversy, a feud, a drama—waiting to happen,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote.
That toxicity continued to surface on Wednesday as training camp opened. Tua Tagovailoa revealed how difficult it has been for everyone to rebuild a strong relationship with Tyreek Hill after his comments last season. Meanwhile, the Dolphins might be preparing to cut a very familiar face after an intriguing development.
“There is no question that the Dolphins need cap space, and Sanders could provide some if he were to be released. The Dolphins would save $3.3 million in cap space while carrying only $1.3 million in dead money. What is interesting is that there was little reason for Sanders to change his number. He has been No. 7 since arriving in the NFL seven years ago. The fact that a second-year non-star player is taking over raises some questions,” Phin Phanatic’s Brian Miller wrote.
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While this remains speculation for now, the jersey swap is notable—especially since Sanders has worn No. 7 his entire career. Whether this signals a financial move or that the team is ready to part ways remains to be seen.