Almost a decade ago, back when they were all on staff with the Atlanta Falcons, Dan Quinn, Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris sat Mike McDaniel down.
The three coaches told McDaniel that they thought he was drinking too much. He had already lost his job on staff with the Houston Texans in part due to his drinking, and there was the smell of alcohol on his breath at times when he was with the Falcons, among other incidents.
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It was that conversation with Quinn, who was the head coach of the Falcons at the time, and the others that pushed McDaniel to stop drinking for good. He entered a three-week treatment program soon after, and then later rejoined Quinn’s staff. That was back in 2016, and he’s been sober ever since.
Now, McDaniel is getting ready to take on his former boss when the Miami Dolphins square off against the Washington Commanders in Madrid on Sunday — marking their first game against each other as head coaches in the league.
[You can stream the Dolphins-Commanders Madrid game and all prime time and out-of-market games on NFL+.]
«Dan Quinn holds a special place in my heart and my career,» McDaniel said Wednesday, via ESPN. «I think he was there at ground zero when I became sober and supported me and gave me the opportunity to continue what I love to do. So for that, I’ll be forever indebted to him.
«I think it speaks to the type of leader he is — I know he really touches every player he coaches from a true, authentic standpoint. I think the Commanders are very fortunate to have him.»
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McDaniel is now in his fourth season leading the Dolphins, though the team is off to just a 3-7 start. The franchise fired general manager Chris Grier already this season, and there has been plenty of speculation about McDaniel’s future with the organization. The team is fresh off a big 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills last week, however, and has won two of their last three.
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The Commanders are also entering Sunday’s game in Spain — which is the first NFL game to be held in the country — with a 3-7 record. They’ve lost five straight, and are playing without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels after he went down with a gruesome elbow injury earlier this month.
Quinn is in his second season leading the Commanders this fall, and had plenty of praise for McDaniel ahead of their contest this weekend.
«For all of us, when there’s an issue, sometimes you don’t want to let someone you’re with know,» Quinn said. «You’re counting on them, they’re counting on you. But leaning in is the biggest strength you can do. In that space, all you want to do is help and give support, and then the real work begins for the person in that spot.
«That’s exactly what Mike did. He said this is what I’m working on and how I’m going to do it, and that’s when the real work begins. Part of the reason I’m so proud of him is this is something that’s happening and this is how I’m going to deal with it, and I’m going to stay connected to that. … It takes a lot of guts to do that, and that’s one of the reasons I’m real proud of him.»
