Mike McDaniel's Dolphins fate decided amid ‘fired’ rumors; Super Bowl-winning coach in the run

Mike McDaniel is in a tricky spot. With the Dolphins 0-3 this season, the 42-year-old head coach is reportedly on the brink of losing his job.

Updated on: Sep 20, 2025, 05:19:37 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Mike McDaniel is in a tricky spot. With the Dolphins 0-3 this season, the 42-year-old head coach is reportedly on the brink of losing his job. Miami's latest loss came against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday. Now, the rumor mill is linking a Super Bowl-winning coach as the potential candidate to replace McDaniel.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel speaks to reporters after an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills (AP)

NFL insider Andrew Fillipponi opened the discussion about McDaniel's potential replacement. He proposed Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's name for the job.

“Something to consider: The Dolphins going after Mike Tomlin when Mike McDaniel is fired as Miami coach,” he wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. However, neither Tomlin nor the Dolphins has reacted to these rumors.

Steve Ross patient

Meanwhile, it was reported that Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross is keeping his cool, despite the three consecutive losses. According to NFL Media, Ross wants McDaniel to work out, especially since he signed a contract extension just last year and has the job till 2028. Ian Rapoport reported that no firing is imminent.

The Dolphins had hired McDaniel in 2022 after his five seasons as an offensive assistant in San Francisco. In his first year as Miami's head coach, the team went 9-8 and successfully snapped a five-year playoff drought. In 2023, they had an 11-6 season. They lost in the wild-card round that year to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. In 2024, McDaniel finished with an 8-9 record.

The Miami Dolphins will face the New York Jets in Week 4. A loss there woud actually hurt, ESPN's Peter Schrager said.

"Monday Night Football, Jets versus Dolphins in Miami," Schrager said. “If you get blown out tonight, it's not good and there will be people calling for McDaniel's head. If you lose to the Jets in Week 4 and start the season off 0-4 and losing on national TV two weeks in a row... that's when we really start talking about this.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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