Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t received a public commitment from ownership for next season, but the team signaled its support by keeping him through the season after firing longtime GM Chris Grier midseason.
The fourth-year coach guided the Dolphins to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, but the team has since posted back-to-back losing records. Following Sunday’s blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, his career record, including the playoffs, stands at 34–34.
NFL insider Ian Rappaport reported Sunday that McDaniel is "likely to be back in 2026," but McDaniel did not affirm that he received a commitment from ownership at his postgame remarks.
With Tua Tagovailoa benched last week and reports indicating the Dolphins may move on from the quarterback, the question remains whether McDaniel will still be at the helm in a post-Tua era.
Mike McDaniel is preparing for next season
During postgame remarks, McDaniel responded to a question about the state of the “program” after falling to 6-9 on the season.
“The program is defined by how the core of the team works through stuff like this,” he said. “You’re not avoiding adversity in the National Football League.
“What do we know? We know we’re not in the playoffs.
“So, you can gain some momentum. Up until the third quarter in this game, you could make arguments, that the momentum of the program was being carried in the right direction.”
McDaniel wants to find the team’s core players for next season.
“You get an opportunity to see who people are in situations like this,” he said. “But you’re really trying to establish who are your core people and where are you leaning on and where do you need to get better.
“The offseason — there’s like 45% roster turnover.”
It sounds like McDaniel is already looking ahead to next season. Now the question is whether Stephen Ross will pull the rug out from under him before then.