According to Adam Schefter, the Dolphins have fired HC Mike McDaniel.
The team confirmed the news in a statement:
The Miami Dolphins have relieved Head Coach Mike McDaniel of his duties. pic.twitter.com/5APbwENBU1
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 8, 2026
Schefter says Dolphins owner Stephen Ross had his final meeting with McDaniel this week to discuss the season. After that and some reflection, Ross made the decision to move on.
It’s impossible not to connect the dots between this and the Ravens firing HC John Harbaugh, as Ross’ affinity for Harbaugh has been known for some time. However, Schefter claims Miami hasn’t contacted Harbaugh or other coaches, and that this was an independent decision.
There have been contradictory reports about whether the Dolphins have reached out to Harbaugh but now that McDaniel is out of the way, expect Miami to throw their hat in the ring. Miami is also into its second round of GM interviews and should be able to make that hire soon.
It is worth noting that the Dolphins were hammered by the NFL for tampering with Sean Payton and Tom Brady between 2019 and 2022. The league stripped Miami of its 2023 first-round pick and fined Ross $1.5 million.
As for McDaniel, he should still be in some demand as an offensive architect and it’s not out of the question he gets another head coaching job with seven other vacancies.
McDaniel, 42, started his coaching career in 2005 as an intern with the Broncos. From 2006-2016, he had stints as an offensive assistant and WR coach for Houston, Washington, Cleveland and Atlanta before joining the 49ers as run game coordinator in 2017.
He remained in that position through 2020 and served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2021. The Dolphins then hired him in 2022 and signed him to a four-year contract.
During his four years in Miami, McDaniel led them to a record of 35-33 (.515 winning percentage), including two playoff appearances.
We’ll have more on the Dolphins and McDaniel as the news is available.
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