To the surprise of many, Mike McDaniel remains the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and could be for the long term. All of this despite a dismal 2-7 start to the season, and the team recently letting general manager Chris Grier go.

The ownership group has more faith in McDaniel than one may think. A team source says that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is committed to him being on the sidelines as head coach beyond this season. There is still confidence in the former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator that he can steer this ship in the right direction or, at the very least, improve this group.

The Dolphins are two losses away from equalling their 2024 total, losing four of their previous five games. The best offensive unit in the NFL in terms of yards per game in 2023 has taken a big step back in that department over the past couple of years.

McDaniel’s crew averaged 401.3 yards per game during the 2023 season. That number dropped to 325.9 yards per game the following season. After 9 games in 2025, they are averaging 291.4 offensive yards per game, good for 28th in the league.

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Grier was the man responsible for hiring McDaniel in 2022, and there was speculation that the head coach would follow the GM out the door this week. There’s been a lot of pressure outside the organization to fire McDaniel. NFL host Colin Cowherd urged the club this week to ditch McDaniel and hire Lane Kiffin.

During his time at Ole Miss, Kiffin’s group has been among the best offensive units in college football. His last coaching stint in the NFL was with the Oakland Raiders for just over one season, during which he won a mere 5 games before being fired.

Mike McDaniel may not be the problem in Miami

While the offensive numbers and losses seem to suggest McDaniel should be fired, there’s more to the story than that.

According to ESPN contributor Louis Jacques Ross, the Dolphins’ woes are not McDaniel’s fault. He notes that Grier stockpiled this team’s draft picks over the past few years to get big-name players like Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb. He also handed out massive contracts to the likes of Christian Wilkins and Jevon Holland. Even with all the big moves, the Dolphins don’t have a playoff victory to show for it.

Ross values collaboration and communication, two qualities he sees plenty of in his current head coach.

Because of this and his close relationship with his players, McDaniel may be able to stay longer than expected. Champ Kelly will serve as the interim general manager in the meantime as the team searches for a permanent replacement.