The Miami Dolphins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. Coming into the year, there were expectations of the Dolphins being a playoff team. However, they got off to a terrible start, going 1-6 in their first seven games. Since then, they have won four of their last five and now sit at 5-7, but it will likely be too little, too late.
The Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier earlier in the season, and some thought head coach Mike McDaniel would suffer a similar fate. Yet it appears McDaniel may earn another season in Miami, depending on how his team finishes.
Mike McDaniel Could Remain in Miami
It seemed like the Dolphins wanted to clean house this offseason, but McDaniel is an innovative coach, and many think he can still be successful as a head coach.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that several league observers believe Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel may be preserving his job with a strong finish to the season. “Obviously, Miami is headed into a transition period, and anything is still possible. But the field of head coach candidates this year isn’t being perceived as very robust, and Dolphins ownership still thinks McDaniel can be a successful coach.”
During his tenure in Miami, McDaniel has a record of 33-30 and two playoff appearances. While the results have not been what Dolphins fans hoped for, McDaniel has not had quarterback Tua Tagovailoa available to him at all times. While Tagovailoa has been healthy this season, he has not played particularly well. He has three straight games of under 200 passing yards, and Tua getting back to elite passing production could help the Dolphins turn things around.
According to PFSN, Tagovailoa has a QB Impact Score of 71.8, which ranks 25th in the NFL. He has not been very effective, and that is one reason the Dolphins’ offense has underwhelmed.
Try out PFSN’s FREE playoff predictor, where you can simulate every 2025-26 NFL season game and see how it all shakes out!
Dolphins Headed for a Rebuild?
The Dolphins must decide whether they want to push all their chips in with the current roster or begin a rebuild. There seem to be some who think the Dolphins would benefit from starting over. That may mean moving on from Tagovailoa, who has not shown the ability to get them where they want to go.
However, if they are keeping McDaniel as head coach, that means they should be all-in with their current core. It may be worth giving McDaniel one more season to see if he can lead this team back to the playoffs. If the Dolphins can add a few more pieces this offseason, they could find themselves in AFC playoff contention next season.