Breaking Down McDaniel's Reaction and Future Possibilities

A few hours after his dismissal became official, Mike McDaniel released a statement through his former employer and it was every bit as classy as one would have expected.

McDaniel did nothing in his statement but express his gratitude at the opportunity to serve as head coach of the Miami Dolphins for the past four seasons after he was hired following his stint with the San Francisco 49ers first as run game coordinator and then offensive coordinator.

"Coaching this team and being a part of this great franchise has been the honor of a lifetime," McDaniel wrote in a statement posted on the Dolphins' X account. "When I took this job, I had a vision of a team that was bonded together and played with passion and energy on the path to winning championships.

"I gave everything I had for that goal. I am disappointed, especially for the fans, that we did not have better results on the field, but I am grateful for every coach, player, and staff member who poured themselves into that vision alongside me. I'm grateful to Stephen Ross for the opportunity he gave me, a little known coach at the time when he hired me. Most of all I'm thankful to my wife Katie and my daughter Ayla for their unending love and support.

"I love this game, the people and relationships that are a part of it, and I will forever cherish my time in Miami."

WHAT NEXT FOR McDANIEL?

McDaniel didn't address his future in his statement, which makes sense because he probably needs some time to assess his situation.

Besides, he's going to get paid for three more years, the result of his 2024 extension, so it's not like he needs to rush to find another job.

But if he does want to coach in 2026, one would suspect there will be offers, at the very least as an offensive coordinator.

The one opening that jumps out and almost screams Mike McDaniel rests with the Washington Commanders.

Head coach Dan Quinn fired his offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, this week, and the relationship between Quinn and McDaniel dating back to their time with the Atlanta Falcons is pretty well known.

Before the Dolphins-Commanders game in Spain this week, McDaniel revisited the story of how Quinn when he was an assistant for him about a decade ago helped him face his drinking problem and got his coaching career back on track.

McDaniel is a very sharp offensive mind and in Washington he'd get the chance to work with star quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin and tackle Laremy Tunsil.

It's a fit that's almost too good to believe.

Other teams currently without an OC include the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.

Of those teams, only the Lions and Bucs currently have a head coach in place, and McDaniel does not have previous work experience with either Detroit head coach Dan Campbell or Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles, ironically two former Dolphins interim coaches.

As for head coach openings, we'd be inclined to believe it's less likely that McDaniel would get hired considering the Dolphins are coming off back-to-back losing seasons and considering Tua Tagovailoa's regression.