The Miami Dolphins missed the NFL playoffs for the second season in a row under head coach Mike McDaniel, further sparking rumors that he's about to get fired from his job. But a day after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL regular season, McDaniel remained as the team's head coach, with indications that he'll still be running the show from the sidelines in the 2026 campaign.
“My understanding is that I’m the coach of the Dolphins until I’m told otherwise… We are not happy with the results that are not up to the standard,” McDaniel said when asked on the NFL Network about reports that he's expected to continue as Miami's head coach (h/t Travis Wingfield of Miami's Drive Tome with Travis Wingfield podcast).
For now, McDaniel remains focused on the job that he currently still has, as he looks to help the franchise turn things around after another disappointing season.
“My sole focus each hour that you can reach me in the next foreseeable many hours is correcting and improving something that’s not good enough right now.”
The 42-year-old McDaniel, who had stints before with the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons, became the 14th head coach of the Dolphins when the team hired him in 2022.
Miami went to the playoffs in each of McDaniel's first two seasons with the franchise, but lost in the wild-card round in both postseason appearances. The Dolphins regressed in the 2024 campaign, winning just eight games against nine losses and it got worse in 2025, as they concluded that campaign with just a 7-10 record.
