The Miami Dolphins enter the season as one of the most questionable teams after making a trade that arguably weakened their roster. They followed that by acquiring a tight end who spent last year retired. All of this is unfolding while Mike McDaniel’s job hangs in the balance.
“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 head into this season with numerous question marks, and it’s clearly not the greatest time in Miami. Not only is McDaniel’s future uncertain, but the team could also be growing impatient with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“What is interesting is that Miami may not have the same confidence they had in him two years ago. They could have created $19 million in cap room with a simple restructure, but opted not to do so, citing they didn't need the extra money,” Phin Phanatic’s Brian Miller wrote.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes Tagovailoa’s job security after this season depends heavily on whether McDaniel remains head coach.
“His contract guarantees his pay through 2026. If the Dolphins fall flat and change coaches, the next coach likely will want a fresh start at quarterback. While the cap charges will complicate a split before 2027, every high-end quarterback contract eventually leads to a big cap charge when the relationship ends. The next coach (and the next G.M., if owner Stephen Ross cleans house) may want to rip the Band-Aid off in one motion,” Florio wrote.
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Tagovailoa hasn’t had the career he hoped for due to unfortunate injuries, but when healthy, he knows exactly how to make a difference. In the end, though, it’s just business — and if new leadership takes over, he may no longer be the Dolphins’ option.