The Miami Dolphins got their biggest win of the season in Week 10. Miami surprised Buffalo, thumping them 30-13 in a result that very few saw coming. Could that big win have bought Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel a chance to keep his job in 2026?
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport gave an update on McDaniel's standing with Dolphins ownership ahead of Week 11.
“We'll start with the Mike McDaniel future here, because that one for sure is in question,” Rapoport said on Sunday via NFL GameDay. “A rough, rough start for the Miami Dolphins… My understanding of where it goes from here, for Mike McDaniel, is that owner Stephen Ross wants him to continue to be the head coach. [Ross] has supported him, has invested in him, believes in him. If at all possible would like McDaniel to continue.”
McDaniel has a 31-30 regular season record as head coach of the Dolphins. He is 0-2 in the playoffs, giving him an overall head coaching record of 31-32.
If the Dolphins can continue to put up strong performances like they did in Week 10, McDaniel's job could be safe for 2026.
“That's going to be decided by how the players respond on the field,” Rapoport continued. “Is this locker room still behind him? They got a good result last week, beating the Bills pretty badly. If that continues, sure it is possible that Mike McDaniel could stay for next season.”
He also explained that the futures for McDaniel and QB Tua Tagovailoa appear to be tied at the hip.
“If that happens, there's a greater chance that Tua Tagovailoa, his quarterback, is the quarterback next year as well,” Rapoport concluded. “It is fair to say [that] these two futures are tied together. There is no bigger champion in the Dolphins building for Tua than his head coach.”
Tua has a massive $56.4 million cap hit in 2026, which could make getting out from under his contract difficult. However, Rapoport did cite Russell Wilson's exit from Denver as evidence that Miami could move on from Tua if they with after the season.
The pressure will be on the Dolphins to beat the Commanders in Madrid on Sunday.
