The Miami Dolphins are at a crossroads. Even though they may have tried to sell a different reality, the 2025 NFL season has made it clear that their current core cannot reasonably be a viable contender in a loaded AFC. Change is necessary, and it might result in a complete teardown of the organization.
While roster turnover seems like a guarantee, the changes could extend to the sidelines as well, with head coach Mike McDaniel a prime candidate to lose his job. Let’s take a deeper look at what the change could mean for the franchise, and who could be next in line after him?
Do the Dolphins Really Need to Fire Mike McDaniel?
A straightforward way to determine whether the Dolphins should fire McDaniel is to review their social media. Although fans can be quick to pass judgment at times, complaints about his coaching tenure seem to arise every week.
And judging by the way things have turned out in recent years, it is hard to argue against their complaints. First joining the team in 2022, he came into this season with a career record of 28-23Â in the regular season.
However, in his three years as a head coach, Miami had not won a single playoff game, despite qualifying for the postseason on two separate occasions. This season, though, it seems like the sky has fallen on the team altogether.
A 2-7 record through nine weeks has them virtually guaranteed to miss the playoffs. But what makes it worse is that there is hardly anything positive for the organization to point to as a silver lining.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is having the worst season of his career, the defense is a mess, and even the offense, McDaniel’s specialty, has suffered. After finishing first in the league in 2023, the offense has continued to crater in consecutive years.
Last year, it ranked 14th, but has since fallen to 21st this year on PFSN’s Offense Impact. With Tyreek Hill out for the season, and the locker room seemingly losing any faith in their head coach, a time for change might be inevitable.
What Is McDaniel’s Contract?
After first coming on in 2022, the success Miami had through its first two seasons under McDaniel, both of which saw the team make the playoffs, earned him a three-year contract extension.
According to Front Office Sports, this amounts to roughly $3.5 million per year; however, Ian Rapoport reported conflicting information, claiming the Dolphins owed McDaniel $18 million over the next two seasons.
If the latter of the two numbers is the correct one, then replacing him would come at a substantial cost to the ownership group. However, with boos ringing through their stadium on a seemingly weekly basis, the frustration of the fan base might become impossible to ignore.
Replacement Candidates for McDaniel
Mike McCarthy, Free Agent
The culture in Miami has always been high-flying and has favored explosive offenses. As a former Super Bowl-winning head coach who led his team to top-10 offenses in 12 separate seasons, the pedigree with Mike McCarthy is undeniable.
He could get things back on track and, like he did with the Dallas Cowboys for a decade, build a perennial playoff contender with incredible upside.
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings DC
Perhaps, with the failures of the last few decades piling up for the Dolphins, they could look for a cultural reset. Rather than focus on another offensive genius to bring in a high-flying unit, they could focus on building a defensive-minded culture.
For that role, Brian Flores might be the most sought-after guy in the entire NFL. Regularly making the Minnesota Vikings a feared unit, he has a proven knack for building a stingy defense, with consecutive top-10 rankings on PFSN’s Defense Impact.
Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins DC
It is all too common for a team to upgrade someone from their current staff to the head coaching role, and Miami could take a similar pathway with their potential search. Last season, despite interviewing for roles with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, he remained with the organization.
He reportedly loves the organization and working with McDaniel. Still, if the latter is removed from his position, then Weaver could be a familiar name they bring in to stabilize the operation and change the outlook with a defensive-minded focus moving forward. If McDaniel is fired, he could become the interim head coach and potentially the permanent head coach if the team finishes the season strongly.
