The future of Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has become one of the NFL’s biggest talking points after a turbulent first half of the season.
After a 3-7 start and the firing of general manager Chris Grier, questions have arisen about whether Miami will stick with its current coach–quarterback pairing heading into 2026. Despite the team’s poor start and sitting well outside the AFC playoffs picture, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport feels McDaniel hasn’t lost backing from ownership.
Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Has Owner’s Support, But His Job is Not Safe
Rapoport said that owner Stephen Ross still wants McDaniel to remain in charge and believes in the long-term vision he brought to the franchise when he signed in 2022.
However, with the Dolphins struggling and Grier already fired, Rapoport believes McDaniel’s future largely hinges on whether the players continue to play hard for him and how the locker room responds on the field in the remaining weeks.
“My understanding of where it goes from here for Mike McDaniel is that owner Stephen Ross wants him to continue as head coach,” Rapoport said. “That’s going to be decided by how the players respond on the field. Is this locker room still behind him?”
From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: A look at the futures of #Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and QB Tua Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/fJytNuceJO
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 16, 2025
Rapoport also pointed to Miami’s convincing 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills as an example of the type of response that could help McDaniel keep his job. If the Dolphins continue trending upward, he said it’s “possible McDaniel could stay for next season.”
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That win over the Bills in Week 10 was also Miami’s largest win against them since 2011.
According to PFSN’s Offensive Impact (OFFi) Rating in Week 10, the Dolphins were ranked fifth with a score of 81.5, up from a 72.8 score and ranking 20th across the season.
Rapoport added that McDaniel’s status will directly influence what the Dolphins decide to do with Tagovailoa. The Miami head coach has long been one of Tagovailoa’s strongest supporters internally, building the offense around the quarterback’s strengths and publicly backing him through ups and downs.
“Yes, they do have $54 million fully guaranteed to Tua. If they wanted to move on from him, they could,” Rapport said. “But it’s fair to say these two futures are tied together. There is no bigger champion for Tua in the Dolphins’ building than his head coach.”
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According to Rapoport, that relationship is a core reason why the two decisions are now intertwined. In other words, if McDaniel survives into 2026, Tagovailoa is overwhelmingly likely to remain the franchise’s starting quarterback. On the other hand, if Miami opts for a reset at head coach, the team may also explore the quarterback market.
Miami will next face off against the Washington Commanders in Madrid on Sunday, aiming to improve its 1-5 record in international games. The match is set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET.
