The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Mike McDaniel, the team announced Thursday, ending a tenure that began with offensive fireworks and playoff appearances but unraveled over the past two seasons.
The decision came after McDaniel met with reporters Monday and indicated he would be involved in interviews for the team’s next general manager. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross met with McDaniel later in the week to review the season, and following that discussion and further reflection, Ross chose to move in a different direction.
Miami finished 7-10 this season, marking the franchise’s second consecutive losing year after playoff berths in 2022 and 2023. The move is notable given that McDaniel signed a three-year contract extension just 16 months ago, in August 2024.
The firing comes amid broader organizational changes. The Dolphins announced Wednesday that, after completing an initial round of interviews, they have scheduled in-person meetings with four candidates for their vacant general manager position: interim GM Champ Kelly, San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander.
McDaniel, a first-time head coach when he was hired in 2022, arrived in Miami after five seasons with the 49ers, including four as run game coordinator and one as offensive coordinator. He quickly transformed a stagnant Dolphins offense that hadn’t finished in the NFL’s top 10 in total yards since 1995. Miami ranked sixth in total offense in McDaniel’s first season, despite averaging fewer than 100 rushing yards per game.
The peak came in 2023, when the Dolphins led the NFL in total offense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa paced the league with 4,624 passing yards, and Miami appeared to have cemented itself as one of the AFC’s most explosive teams.
That momentum stalled in 2024 and collapsed further in 2025. Tagovailoa missed a career-high six games in 2024, and his production dipped to 325 yards per game after averaging 364.5 in 2022 and 401.3 in 2023. Miami lost six of its first eight games that season, finished 8-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time under McDaniel.
This past season proved even more turbulent. The Dolphins dropped seven of their first eight games, prompting the firing of general manager Chris Grier at the end of October. Although Miami rallied with a four-game winning streak, the season unraveled again late. Tagovailoa was benched following a Week 15 loss that eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention. Rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers started the final three games.
On Monday, Tagovailoa said he was hopeful to get a fresh start with a new team in 2026, but any move will come at a steep cost for Miami. Tagovailoa carries a $56.4 million cap hit in 2026. Cutting him before June 1 would trigger a $99.2 million dead cap hit, while a post–June 1 release would spread $67.2 million of dead money into 2026. A trade remains an option, though it would require a team willing to absorb his salary.
McDaniel’s dismissal continues a pattern of instability on the Dolphins’ sideline. He was the franchise’s third head coach in the past 10 seasons, following three-year stints by Brian Flores and Adam Gase. Before McDaniel, no Dolphins coach had completed four full seasons since Dave Wannstedt in 2003; Tony Sparano and Joe Philbin were both fired during their fourth seasons. Miami also has not hired a head coach with previous NFL head coaching experience since Sparano in 2008.
With both the head coach and general manager positions now open, the Dolphins enter another reset, hoping to finally align leadership, roster construction, and quarterback direction in a franchise still searching for sustained success.
