Whether the Miami Dolphins keep Mike McDaniel or not, the team needs to make a clear decision as soon as the 2025 regular season comes to an end.
The 2025 season has been a difficult one for all involved with the Dolphins, who currently sit at 7-9 with one last game remaining.
When the season ends, there’s a possibility that McDaniel will sport a record a shade over .500 (35-33) since taking over as head coach of the Dolphins in 2022, assuming the next two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots end in losses.
This is not a great stat line for a coach, although it could be much worse, which has led to rampant online discussions about whether the Dolphins will look to part ways with McDaniel for 2026 or give him another chance to prove he can keep the team competitive.
There will be a lot of consideration around Tua Tagovailoa’s future with the team and how that can impact McDaniel’s own tenure in southern Florida, with some viewing the logical decision that if Tagovailoa goes, then so, too, should McDaniel – allowing the new GM to build a team from fresh.
Regardless of what happens, the decision needs to be made publicly almost immediately after the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Miami Dolphins Need to Make Clear Decision on Mike McDaniel Once Season Ends
End the Constant Speculation
The worst thing for a franchise that is struggling and doesn’t have clear answers on what comes next is allowing the fanbase to spiral.
Fans online are constantly debating what the team should or shouldn’t do to get things back on track, and a large portion of the discussion relates to McDaniel and whether or not he stays in 2026.
Debates are becoming heated, and frustration among fans is at an all-time high as answers are not yet forthcoming. This is where owner Stephen Ross needs to make a clear-cut decision, one way or another.
Should he opt to keep McDaniel, he can provide an explanation for why this decision makes sense with the current state of the team, or not, if he chooses to make another coaching change.
Fans want to know what the team is doing, or planning to do, to try and overcome the longest current playoff-winning drought in the entire NFL, and having a clear decision made on the head coach as soon as the season ends will put this to bed.
Give the Team a Clear Path Forward
Not only would making a clear decision help assuage fans who are tired of seeing their team struggle, despite earlier promises such as the 2023 season, but it would give the team itself a clear path forward.
Players under contract will know whether or not the guy they seemingly like, based on the NFLPA’s report card, which saw players give McDaniel an A+ grade, ranking sixth out of all 32 teams, is sticking around for another year, or someone new will be entering the building with their own plans for how a team should play.
That, and it would give clarity to the team’s next general manager, whether that is Champ Bailey or not, as it makes it clear what the owner is looking for in terms of team structure and personnel – more of this type of play, or something different with a new face at the helm.
A new general manager might have their own ideas on the type of team they want to build, but if Ross has already decided that McDaniel will be given another year, then it takes away some of that team-building element to the job.
This could discourage some external parties from applying for the job, assuming the team wants to make an external hire and not go the easy route.
Having a clear path forward for all involved with the team is something that can’t be understated after such a difficult year. Making a clear, concise decision and not dragging it out is something that Ross needs to do for the benefit of everyone – himself included.