Mike McDaniel will be entering his fourth season as the Miami Dolphins head coach in 2025. But many believe the clock is ticking.
In his first three seasons, McDaniel is 28-23 overall and 0-2 in the playoffs. For a franchise that’s been desperate for even a single postseason win since 2000, this looks to be a prove-it year for the 42-year-old coach.
USA Today’s Jacob Camenker ranked McDaniel second among NFL coaches on the hottest seat heading into 2025, just behind the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll.
“McDaniel led the Dolphins to back-to-back playoff appearances to start his coaching career. Last season, they went 8-9 and missed the playoffs,” Camenker wrote. “McDaniel will be under pressure to earn his first playoff win in 2025 and could find himself in trouble if he can’t find more ways to support – or succeed without – Tua Tagovailoa.”
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay took it a step further, suggesting the uncertainty around both McDaniel and Tagovailoa could make Miami an undesirable destination altogether.
“Given the issues surrounding McDaniel, Tagovailoa’s health concerns and potential for a rebuild in the near future, players should do their best to avoid being dealt to the Dolphins,” Kay wrote.
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As Kay alluded to, Tagovailoa may only be part of the problem. The Dolphins’ roster is riddled with question marks. Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey is expected to be traded any day now. Tight end Jonnu Smith skipped mandatory minicamp in hopes of landing a new contract. And there have been murmurs that McDaniel is losing the locker room—a potential factor behind Ramsey’s eventual exit.
“I talked with their defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver about the situation and his quote kind of explains why the Dolphins and Ramsey are here. He said Ramsey has been a great player for us, but relationships are hard and he has chosen to move on,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported.
If McDaniel is going to make it to a fifth season in Miami, he’ll almost certainly need to deliver a playoff berth in 2025. Right now, everything surrounding the Dolphins feels uncertain.
