Stephen Ross will Decide Mike McDaniel’s Future, NOT the New GM

Stephen Ross will Decide Mike McDaniel’s Future, NOT the new GM

There is a notion among some Dolphins fans on social media that the Miami Dolphins will hire a new general manager, who will be all-powerful and decisive, and that person will ultimately decide the fate of current Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, whether he stays or is fired.

And nothing can be further from the truth.

Mike McDaniel’s fate as head coach of the Dolphins beyond this season will be decided upon by Stephen Ross.

Whoever Miami hires as its next general manager will not have to make that call, because that call will be made before that person is even hired.

Hell, that call will be made before that person even interviews for the job.

You see, when you are embarking on a rebuild, the owner hires the people to construct the rebuild.

If Stephen Ross wants Mike McDaniel as Miami Dolphins head coach in 2026, then that will happen.

Adam Schefter reported on Friday that McDaniel will remain the Dolphins’ head coach throughout the 2025 season.

Ian Rapoport then reported that the Dolphins’ executive leadership hopes to keep Mike beyond this season.

Code for, “Win a few more games, and you won’t be fired. We kinda like you. Lose a bunch more, and we have no choice but to fire you.”

Common Sense

However, Ross will decide on McDaniel, and it will occur before a new general manager is in place.

First, except for Champ Kelly, who is already part of the organization, the Dolphins can’t begin interviewing for a new general manager until after Week 18 and the end of the regular season.

That process will take weeks, if not a month or more, and you can’t keep Mike McDaniel in limbo until mid-February and tell him, “Not sure if you’re returning, sit tight.”

Not to mention, if the Dolphins are a 2, 3, or 4-win team this year, why on earth would the owner want to bring McDaniel back?

Coming off an under-500 season last year and now this in 2025, McDaniel has the stench of LOSER on him, and he shouldn’t return in 2026.

Also, if, for some reason, Miami did take this approach some fans are hoping for (which they won’t), and you hire a new general manager and let him make the call on McDaniel, what does it say about the new GM if his first action is to keep a head coach coming off a two or three-win season and hitching his wagon to him?

It’s likely a sign that you’ve just hired the wrong general manager.

I know fans want to believe that the only way to win in the NFL is to have a top-down structure where the general manager has total control over everything. He decides on the head coach, who is his hand-picked choice, with the owner having no say in the matter of head coach, draft picks, or free agents signed.

The GM has all the power and makes all the decisions.

That perfect world does not exist in the NFL.

Never has, never will.