Dolphins Firing Mike McDaniel Fuels John Harbaugh Speculation

The Miami Dolphins became the eighth NFL team with a head coaching vacancy this week.

Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Dec. 28, 2025. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Normally, NFL head coach firings pile up on “Black Monday,” after the final Sunday of the regular season.

Instead, it’s turning into a week of firings. The Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, which became the NFL’s eighth head coach opening and the first since the firing of former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday.

Once Harbaugh became available, calls from seven teams came into his agent when the league only had six openings at the time besides the Ravens, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Whether or not one was the Dolphins remains unknown, but Miami is moving another direction either way after McDaniel went 35–33 overall in the regular season and 0–2 in the postseason over four years.

“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change. I informed Mike McDaniel this morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement on Thursday.

“I love Mike and want to thank him for his hard work, commitment, and the energy he brought to our organization. Mike is an incredibly creative football mind whose passion for the game and his players was evident every day. I wish him and his family the best moving forward,” Ross added.

McDaniel joined the Dolphins in  2022 after a season as the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator. He took on the task of developing Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and it looked promising during the first two years, when the team went 20–14 in that span.

Tagovailoa, meanwhile, had a career year in 2022, with 3,548 yards passing for 25 touchdowns versus eight interceptions. He only improved in 2023 as a Pro Bowler, when he threw for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns versus 14 picks.

Both seasons ended with cold-weather playoff losses, however, as the Dolphins fell to the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in those games. Miami cratered after that, with a 15–19 stretch as the team missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons with losing records.

The 2025 season started rocky, with a 33–8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and things fell apart from there. Miami lost star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to a season-ending knee injury in September, the team dropped to 1–5 in October, and Tagovailoa got benched in December. The Dolphins ended with a 38–10 loss to the New England Patriots.

“Eventually, like everybody else in this league, you’re not entitled to this position,” McDaniel told reporters on Monday before the firing. “If I’m not able to win regular-season games, playoff games, and Super Bowls, eventually the job won’t be mine.”

Miami also has to find a general manager after firing Chris Grier back in October. That’s where Harbaugh comes in.

Los Angeles Chargers Assistant General Manager Chad Alexander worked with Harbaugh in Baltimore between 2008 and 2019, and Alexander is one of the Dolphins’ finalists for general manager. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Alexander interviewed in person and that the Dolphins want to make a hire this week.

Miami is also considering Green Bay Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers Director of Scouting and Football Operations Josh Williams, and Dolphins Interim General Manager Champ Kelly. Harbaugh, meanwhile, has a plethora of openings to consider.

The New York Giants have been among the contenders, but five other teams have openings. That includes the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.

McDaniel also has those options to consider, including the Ravens. He is now among a crowded group of head coaches potentially looking for a new position: Pete Carroll, Kevin Stefanski, Jonathan Gannon, Raheem Morris, Brian Daboll, and Brian Callahan.