Mike McDaniel Dolphins timeline: Why players-only meeting news from Tua Tagovailoa could signal end of era

Teddy Ricketson

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Mike McDaniel Dolphins timeline: Why players-only meeting news from Tua Tagovailoa could signal end of era image

Being good, but not good enough, doesn't usually keep head coaches employed with their teams for very long. 

Mike McDaniel was hired by the Miami Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season. He led his team to a 9-8 record and a second-place finish in the AFC East. McDaniel improved in 2023, and the Dolphins finished 11-6 and second place in the AFC East that season. Miami made the playoffs in both seasons but lost in the Wild Card round.

In 2024, the Dolphins struggled, finishing 8-9 and in second place in the AFC East, but missed the playoffs for the first time in McDaniels' tenure. With no playoff wins and a step back in Year 3, all eyes were on how McDaniel would navigate the 2025 season with the Bills expected to be division leaders once again, and expectations increased for the New England Patriots. 

The Dolphins went on to lose three straight games to begin the year. Miami finally beat the New York Jets in Week 4, but then lost back-to-back games to start the season 1-5 through six games. There were concerns that McDaniel had lost the locker room early, but those were quelled when the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills by only 10 points in Week 3 after fighting hard throughout the game. Following the team's fifth loss of the year, the worries were back, especially as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa broke some news about his teammates in the postgame news conference. 

Here is more on what has happened to McDaniel at the helm and how it could spell the end of his tenure in Miami.

Mike McDaniel Dolphins timeline

January 5, 2025 -- Tyreek Hill expresses frustration with Dolphins

One of the biggest criticisms of McDaniel was that he was lenient toward star players on his team, according to an article by The Athletic. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was one of those stars. He would play emotionally and would cause a fuss if he wasn't getting the targets that he thought he deserved. 

After the Dolphins' 2024 season ended with a 32-20 loss to the Jets, Hill wasted little time in making headlines. In his postgame press conference he said, "I'm out bro. It was great playing here." 

Hill eventually walked back his comments, remaining with the team in 2025, but the comments made many wonder if McDaniels had begun losing the locker room, or if he had already lost it. 

In his post-game press conference, McDaniel challenged his team to establish a new standard for the team in the 2025 season. 

September 15, 2025 -- Players publicly back McDaniel despite slow start

Some Dolphins players defended McDaniel after the Dolphins slow start to the season. Linebacker Chop Robinson said the players were responsible for the on-field product, and the mistakes. Left tackle Patrick Paul insisted that his head coach was still a leader who instills confidence. 

October 5, 2025 -- ESPN analyst says McDaniels' seat is "moderately hot"

After McDaniel and the Dolphins blew a 17-point lead against the Carolina Panthers and allowed a huge game to backup running back Rico Dowdle, reports began to surface that McDaniel was on the coaching hot seat. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said this of McDaniel on the "Rich Eisen Show" following the loss.

"Well, (McDaniel’s seat) is moderately hot, I would say. I really think that ownership there really likes Mike McDaniel a lot. This is not something where they are looking for an excuse to move on from him right now. So I don’t expect anything, at this moment, this week. I feel like they want to give him a little bit of time, but there are a lot of factors that go into that kind of situation. One of which is ‘Is your team getting better? Is it lifeless? Are the seats in the stands in Miami Gardens empty?’"

October 12, 2025 -- Tua Tagovailoa talks about Dolphins' lack of discipline

After the Dolphins lost 29-27 in Week 6 and moved to1-5 on the season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the lack of discipline he had seen within the team during his postgame press conference. Tagovailoa said some of the Dolphins players would show up late for players-only meetings, and sometimes skip them entirely.

McDaniel responded to Tagovailoa's comment's stating that he wasn't worried "about the team staying together," and more concerned with the team "getting our football right." 

Teddy Ricketson

Teddy Ricketson is a Digital Content Producer at The Sporting News. He joined the team in 2024 after spending the last three years writing for Vox Media as part of its DK Nation/Network team. Teddy does his best to support the South Carolina Gamecocks and Carolina Panthers, but tends to have more fun cheering on the Atlanta Braves. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two dogs, Bo and Hootie.