Following a disappointing 2025 season, the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons.
McDaniel’s firing from Miami was somewhat unusual. The Dolphins did not make a decision on their head coach after the season ended, and allowed McDaniel to address the media, where the coach indicated that he had been a part of the team’s general manager search. Days later, the Miami Dolphins announced that they were moving on from McDaniel.
While McDaniel received interest from other teams about potentially hiring him as a head coach, Miami’s former coach was mostly viewed as the premier offensive coordinator on the market. McDaniel then joined Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert and acclaimed head coach Jim Harbaugh on the Los Angeles Chargers. That quickly led to expectations being raised in Los Angeles.
Former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel Shares Honest Message on Job Security
However, after four games, Miami’s former head coach has been having a difficult time, and questions about his job security have already started after the Chargers’ poor start. Now, McDaniel has shared an honest message about potentially being fired from his offensive coordinator job.
Prior to Week 5, former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel responded to questions regarding his job security. McDaniel stated that it “comes with the territory of the job.” He added, “When you have high expectations and you’re getting the results we’re getting and you’re 0-4, that’s pretty standard operating procedure. I would be foolish, or I would feel entitled, if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment.
“I would be foolish or I’d feel entitled if I didn’t expect there to be disappointment that comes with the territory of the job. … I don’t expect to get praised through failure.”
Full answer:
And so, if you want things to change and you want narratives to change, you have to change them through action collectively. If our results are better, that’s the only thing that matters. So it’s pretty easy for me to focus on what I need to focus on.”
Regarding the offensive struggles the Chargers have had under McDaniel, ESPN’s Kris Rhim wrote: “The season has been a disaster for McDaniel and the offense as the team sits at 0-4, going from a supposed Super Bowl contender to in contention for the first pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
The Chargers rank 28th in points per game (16.8) and 31st in offensive efficiency (22.90), and quarterback Justin Herbert has the league’s second-worst QBR (28.0). The offensive line had its worst day of the season in the loss to Seattle. According to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats, the Chargers’ pass block win rate of 13% was the lowest in ESPN’s 10-year dataset.”
Jim Harbaugh’s Comments on McDaniel
Fortunately for McDaniel, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated that McDaniel wasn’t at risk of being fired, as he said, “His job is not in jeopardy. He’s a skilled coach, and we’re going to keep growing.”
Through four games, McDaniel’s offense in Los Angeles has been the fourth-worst in the NFL, averaging 16.8 points per game.
Last season, Miami’s offense led by McDaniel was a bottom-10 unit in the NFL as they averaged 20.4 points per game. McDaniel has not coached an above-average offense since the 2023 season, when the Dolphins had the third-best offense in the NFL.
Ex-Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Shares Honest Message on Firing Rumors