The Miami Dolphins hope to earn their first win of the season on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills. A victory would be a nice change of pace, as the organization has had a dark cloud hanging above regarding speculation about Mike McDaniel's job status. However, it appears that team owner Stephen Ross has no plans on moving on from McDaneil for now.
During the pregame show for “Thursday Night Football,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network revealed that Ross is approaching the situation with patience. So, although the Dolphins are off to a slow start, the franchise seemingly won't make a quick decision on the 42-year-old head coach.
“Stephen Ross, the Dolphins' owner, does not want to fire Mike McDaniel,” said Rapoport. “He doesn't. He wants this to work. He likes him, he believes in him, he has invested in him, including a contract extension last year that was two years, about $19 million after this year. Whenever he has had to, whenever possible, [Ross] has been patient. My sense is nothing is imminent for the Dolphins on that front.
“However, there is a caveat. That can change,” continued Rapoport. “If fans suddenly stop showing up to the stadium, or if players stop playing for [McDaniel], then that can alter the situation.”
From The @NFLonPrime TNF pregame show: #Dolphins owner Stephen Ross plans to be patient, despite a slow start for the team and coach Mike McDaniel. pic.twitter.com/961Ko0ONZp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 18, 2025
Things went awry in the final several weeks of the 2024-25 season. The Dolphins failed to reach the playoffs for the first time under Mike McDaniel after finishing with an 8-9 record. Tyreek Hill caused some drama as well, demanding a trade immediately after the 32-20 Week 18 loss to the New York Jets.
However, Hill eventually cooled down with the trade demands, as he remains with the Dolphins. But things haven't looked all that great for Miami after the team suffered a 33-8 Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, just to follow that up with a 33-27 Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots.
Either way, it sounds like Mike McDaniel is going to have a chance to right the ship. The Thursday night matchup will be an opportunity for him and the Dolphins to quiet the critics.
