Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins are not having a fun time this season. The team suffered an ugly 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 7 and are now 1-6 on the season. As a result of the ugly start, rumors have been swirling about McDaniel’s status as the team’s head coach.
McDaniel is now 29-29 as the Dolphins’ head coach and it’s hard to see the team getting much better in 2025. The team’s next games are against the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills. With that being said, let’s take a look at McDaniel’s status and see if the Dolphins are planning to make a move soon.
Are the Dolphins Firing McDaniel This Week?
Any time a coach is 1-6 and his team is coming off a blowout loss, you’re going to hear rumors about his job status.
However, NFL insider Ian Rapoport appeared on NFL Network and Monday morning and dispelled the rumors for now. Rapaport explained that McDaniel is still liked by owner Stephen Ross and Ross wants to “go forward.”
“Owner Stephen Ross likes him and believes in him, has extended McDaniel in the past, and wants to go forward with Mike McDaniel,” said Rapoport.
McDaniel was touted as an offensive guru, and at time, his unit has performed well in Miami. The Dolphins’ offense has not performed well this year, though, and ranks 23rd in PFSN’s Offense Impact rankings. The team has a 70.1 grade so far, which is good for a C-.
On defense, the Dolphins have been even worse. In PFSN’s Defense Impact rankings, the Dolphins are 29th with a 61.3 grade. The unit just allowed the Browns to put up 31 points, which is the most points they’ve scored all season.
It hasn’t been all bad with McDaniel in Miami, however. The coach had a 20-14 record with the team in his first two seasons and made the playoffs in both years. In 2024, the Dolphins finished one game below .500, but it was easy to attribute that to starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missing six games with injury.
It seems like McDaniel will indeed remain the head coach, at least for now. The team has a couple of winnable games coming up next and could theoretically turn their season around.
Competing for the AFC East crown isn’t going to happen this year, but the team could at least rattle off some wins and feel better about the season. If the struggles continue, though, it’s hard to imagine McDaniel being the head coach in 2026.
