The Miami Dolphins have had an eventful offseason so far. Head coach Mike McDaniel finds himself on the hot seat after finishing his first season without a winning record. His reluctance to hold players accountable could make this year his last in Miami.
“McDaniel believes he is the right man for the job, and that's not unexpected. His offenses have been known for not being the toughest or most physical units in the league. And there have been suggestions he is too player-friendly and doesn't hold his guys accountable, which can be troublesome for creating a winning culture. McDaniel feels the support of owner Stephen Ross, but anything can happen once the season starts. If the Dolphins have a horrible season, the head coach and GM Chris Grier's jobs could be in jeopardy,” Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson wrote.
On Monday, Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Steelers after months on the trade block. The move was reportedly tied to personal tension between Ramsey and McDaniel.
“The broken relationship between Jalen Ramsey and McDaniel is why he’s on the trade block,” an anonymous scout said. “No one has been able to explain what happened, but I was told this actually has nothing to do with money.”
With the Dolphins trading both Jonnu Smith and Ramsey, McDaniel emerges as the biggest loser of the offseason, as these moves make it significantly harder for him to keep his job beyond 2025.
“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.
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McDaniel’s roster just got weaker, and for a head coach already on the brink, that's far from ideal. Time will tell, but keeping his job now feels like a near-impossible task.