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Rex Ryan goes off on ‘nerd boy’ Mike McDaniel

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 7:15 PM ET

Former NFL coach Rex Ryan made it very clear on Monday that he is not a big fan of Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Ryan tore into McDaniel during a segment on ESPN’s “Get Up!” Monday, one day after the Dolphins were blown out 33-8 by the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan suggested that Dolphins players do not respect McDaniel, and made his rant oddly personal.

“Maybe he’s on a different level, McGenius guy, whatever the hell he is, nerd boy,” Ryan said. “Their team has no respect for the coach. They play like that. They’re like, ‘Come on, man, get us a dang guy in here.’ Where’s the physicality in this team?”

Rex Ryan on Mike McDaniel: "McGenius guy or whatever the hell he is, nerd boy. Their team has no respect for their coach, they play like that… they're soft, every part of their football team." (@GetUpESPN) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/FOJZN1mQLr
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 8, 2025

McDaniel is unquestionably considered one of the more cerebral coaches in the NFL. That is in part why the Dolphins already have a reputation for being soft. The Dolphins have had some regular season success under the coach, but he is only 28-24 overall and has lost both of his playoff games. There are even growing rumors that he could be on the hot seat.

Ryan is hardly new to making critical comments about coaches in his role as a pundit. However, he really seems to have it in for McDaniel. Perhaps he has one eye on the Miami job himself, as he did try to get back into coaching during the offseason.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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