McDaniel Shares Postgame Conversation with Owner Stephen Ross

it's becoming a weekly tradition around the Miami Dolphins that during head coach Mike McDaniel's day-after-the-game press conference, he will be asked about his postgame conversation with team owner Stephen Ross.

The question, of course, wouldn't be asked if not for the idea that McDaniel's job might be in jeopardy with the Dolphins near the bottom of the standings with a 1-5 record that pretty much has guaranteed the team won't make the playoffs, let alone end the franchise's agonizing streak of seasons with a playoff win.

And the reason it's fair to wonder about McDaniel's job security lies in the statement released by the Dolphins from Ross after the 2024 season, which said the status quo would not be acceptable.

So it was that McDaniel was asked about his postgame conversation with Ross after the heartbreaking 29-27 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, just as he was after the equally painful 27-24 loss against the Carolina Panthers the previous week.

"After the game, the main thing is that he's experiencing the loss like all of us," McDaniel said. "And you know, I think it's a fourth loss this season that we've had that in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, we had a different outcome available to us. let's just say. And then, the focus on what we need to do as a team to try to correct this. And each time that you have situations like that where you're disappointed, the best way to do something about it is focus on Cleveland. So that's what we talked about. That was the extent of it."

McDaniel's comments came not that long after news broke out that the Tennessee Titans had fired head coach Brian Callahan six games into his second season following a 1-5 start, the same record the Dolphins have.

THE MANDATE FOR 2025

McDaniel came on board in 2022 and is attempting to become the first Dolphins head coach to last at least four full seasons since Dave Wannstedt did it at the start of the new millennium — Wannstedt was hired in 2000 and was Dolphins head coach until he was fired nine games into the 2004 season, his fifth with the team.

National reports have been consistent in saying Ross really likes McDaniel and wants to be patient with him, but the owner also is dealing with a frustrated fan base, and the sight of banners flying over Hard Rock Stadium at every home game demanding that both McDaniel and GM Chris Grier be fired can't be one he enjoys.

And then we have to go back to the statement Ross released the night the Dolphins' 2024 season ended with a 32-20 loss against the New York Jets, with Miami finishing 8-9 and out of the playoffs.

“I want to thank the players and coaches for their hard work through the 2024 season, as well as the fans for their support,” Ross’s statement began. “As the owner of this team, I am ultimately accountable for our successes and failures,” he continued. “We fell short of our expectations this season, and I understand and share in the frustration in our performance on the field.

“As we now look towards 2025, our football operation will continue to be led by Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel with my full support. Their positive working relationship is an asset to the Dolphins, and I believe in the value of stability. However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough. We will take a hard look at where we have fallen shot and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”

Well, the Dolphins look like they'll be competing more in 2025 for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft than a championship, which could mean some big changes in the organization.

But that might not happen for a while.

And in the meantime, McDaniel probably should get used to being asked about his conversations with Ross after each loss.

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