Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will be patient with coach Mike McDaniel, firing not imminent, per report

If there is one head coach that appears on the hot seat through two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, it’s Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins. His 0-2 team has been out-scored by a total of 31 points to begin the year, as the defense has struggled to stop both the run and pass, while the offense hasn’t found any kind of rhythm.

How close is McDaniel to losing his job? Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is giving him a chance to turn it around. According to NFL Media, Ross wants this to work out. He believes in his coach, and invested in him by signing McDaniel to a contract extension last year that carries him through 2028. Ian Rapoport reports that no firing is imminent. 

However, this of course can change. Rapoport reports that if fans stop showing up to games and McDaniel clearly loses the locker room, that could change Ross’ thinking. He is hoping for improvement.  

The Dolphins hired McDaniel to his first head-coaching gig in 2022 after he spent five seasons as an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. McDaniel worked as the 49ers’ run game coordinator, and then spent one year as Kyle Shanahan’s offensive coordinator. The Dolphins went 9-8 in the first year of the McDaniel era and snapped a five-year playoff drought, followed by an 11-6 season in 2023.

It was in that 2023 season the Dolphins led the NFL in total offense with 401.3 yards per game, and ranked No. 2 in scoring with 29.2 points per game. However, the Dolphins lost in the wild-card round that year to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. McDaniel still has not won a playoff game in Miami. In 2024, the Dolphins took a step backwards, finishing with an 8-9 record. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed a total of six games last season, and Miami was only able to win two of them. 

The Dolphins are 1-13 in their last 14 games against teams entering the matchup with a winning record. They have been outscored by 184 points in those games. McDaniel will attempt to get his team back on track this Thursday night against Josh Allen and the rival Buffalo Bills.