Since taking over the Miami Dolphins in 2022, head coach Mike McDaniel has had his share of ups and downs. When quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, the offense usually runs smoothly. The Dolphins often stall when he’s out, with most missed games due to multiple head injuries.
The Dolphins made the playoffs twice, in 2022 and 2023, but lost the Wild Card games in both years. However, they missed the playoffs in 2024 with a record of 8-9. Those results have put McDaniel squarely on the hot seat.
Mike McDaniel Is on the Hot Seat and Dolphins Players Know It
PFSN’s Allison Koehler mentioned this in her article about Dolphins cornerback Ethan Bonner, who brought up his head coach’s current status.
“Every coach in the league is under pressure,” Bonner said. “We know we haven’t won a playoff game in a while, but our goal is to change that. Not just win one game, but go even further.”
It’s been a long drought for Miami. The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since 2000. Since then, they’ve made the playoffs five times but haven’t advanced past the Wild Card round. In fact, they haven’t won a Divisional Round matchup since taking down the San Diego Chargers during the 1992 season.
Not all of that falls on McDaniel. The Dolphins had terrible injury luck in 2023, and 2024 was even worse. Dolphins players missed 227 games, trailing only the Cleveland Browns (248) and Detroit Lions (254). That doesn’t even include linebacker Bradley Chubb, who missed the entire season rehabbing a 2023 knee injury.
The Dolphins finished the season with 14 players on injured reserve, and 46 players suffered injuries in total. Whether that points to strength and conditioning issues or bad luck, the results are the same: the roster was decimated.
Still, McDaniel is the head coach, and the responsibility ultimately falls on him. While other teams like Dan Campbell’s Lions dealt with injuries primarily on one side of the ball, Miami’s problems hit both, not just one unit.
However, Tagovailoa’s health continues to be the bigger issue. In 2024, he suffered a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills and missed four games. The Dolphins lost three games during his absence, along with the Week 2 matchup against Buffalo.
Despite returning in Week 5, Miami lost two more matchups, dropping them to 2-6. This effectively killed their playoff chances despite their attempts to make a late run.
Now, McDaniel is facing a make-or-break season, and once again, his team’s chances for success rely on staying healthy.
