Examining the Latest (And Strongest) Mike McDaniel Report

If somehow this wasn't clear before, Ross likes McDaniel and strongly believes in him, which is why he gave the head coach a contract extension last year despite the fact he had two years remaining on his contract, which isn't typical, especially for a coach who had yet to win a playoff game.

WHAT'S INVOLVED IN KEEPING McDANIEL

Of course, staying with McDaniel beyond 2025 is going to complicate matters when it comes to hiring a new general manager because top candidates, those with other viable options, will want to bring in their own coach.

This is why we wouldn't dismiss the idea of interim GM Champ Kelly returning in the role in 2026 in a prove-it year in tandem with McDaniel.

That McDaniel perseveres while Chris Grier is now gone is interesting — there are other words that could be used — considering the operational issues that have shown up throughout the season, starting with the opener against the Indianapolis Colts and most recently against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Dolphins roster certainly has its flaws, but the Dolphins also have looked like a team that was, shall we say, less than well coached?

For those asking why Ross has such an affinity for McDaniel as a coach, the logical assumption here was McDaniel's ability to get the best football out of QB Tua Tagovailoa after he was rather mid in his first two seasons under former head coach Brian Flores.

McDaniel also was the architect of an offense that was the talk of the NFL in 2022 and 2023 despite the fact it never produced that elusive playoff win or more often than not came up short against tougher opponents.

As it stands, McDaniel is on track to make it through a full fourth season, something no Miami coach has done since Dave Wannstedt from 2000-03 before he was fired nine games into his fifth season.

As the national reporters have indicated, there never is an absolute in any decision and so it could be that the Dolphins flop so bad in the final weeks of the regular season that Ross decides he has no choice but make a coaching change, but the stage has been set to run it back with McDaniel in 2026.

ROSS' HISTORY WITH COACHES

Ross has fired four head coaches during his time as Dolphins owner, which began in 2009: Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase and Brian Flores.

Sparano, who was hired by previous owner Wayne Huizenga, was fired 13 games into his fourth season; Philbin was fired four games into his fourth season; Gase was fired after his third season; Flores was fired after his third season.

So maybe Ross decided after Sparano and Philbin that he didn't like firing coaches during the season, and maybe that leads him to keep McDaniel the whole season.

Given the mandate from January and the way this season quickl went off the rails, it seemed highly unlikely, particularly after two embarrassing performances in a two-week span. But, again, it was Grier who took the fall and not McDaniel.

Of course, we won't know exactly what Ross is thinking until and unless he releases another statement because he hasn't talked to the media about the Dolphins in a few years now.

The Dolphins will be walking a fine line down the stretch, and that starts with McDaniel.

It's where the mandate maybe will be more skewed toward the team "playing for" McDaniel than winning games because there will come a time the Dolphins really should start focusing on evaluating their younger players and giving them increased playing time even at the cost of going all out for wins.

Think about it, if McDaniel is to be judged strictly by wins and losses, then why would he want to play younger players, even if that would be more beneficial for 2026 and beyond once the team officially is eliminated from the playoffs, which will happen sooner rather than later.

Unless McDaniel is guaranteed to be part of that future, his best interests would run counter to those of the organization.

For example, McDaniel announced Monday that Tagovailoa would remain the starting quarterback despite his poor performance at Cleveland and the team's disastrous record. That makes all the sense in the world because Tua is the one who gives the Dolphins (and McDaniel) the best chance to win at this moment.

But what about a month from now, when the Dolphins might be 2-10 and out of playoff contention, and at that point, should they really get rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers some starts to see exactly what they have in him?