McDaniel to be part of Fins’ GM search process

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel said he will be part of the team’s interview process for its next general manager and will remain the head coach until he’s told otherwise.

McDaniel spent most of the 2025 season among the favorites to lose their job, after Miami lost seven of its first nine games, but rebounded with a four-game winning streak to come within a game of a .500 record. The Dolphins (7-10) still finished with a losing record for the second consecutive season, which McDaniel called a «failure.»

When asked about his job security, the fourth-year coach said it’s «my understanding I’m the coach of the Miami Dolphins until told otherwise,» and added that he’ll speak with team owner Stephen Ross about how to move forward successfully.

«We’re getting together later in the week to discuss what needs to be discussed,» McDaniel said Monday. «We both share the sentiment that we’re not where we want to be, and in this business, you have to have a plan of action to improve that play. I think those discussions are very important and healthy, and I think the fan base is counting on that to occur.

Tua Tagovailoa after a Week 15 loss in favor of rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers.

Tagovailoa finished the season with his fewest passing yards since 2021 and a career-high 15 interceptions.

McDaniel confirmed there will be a quarterback competition in 2026, and the team will be diligent in finding its starter — whether that means bringing in a new quarterback or turning to one already on its roster.

While McDaniel said he doesn’t foresee a complete rebuild in 2026, he and the Dolphins still have a difficult offseason ahead.

Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who missed all but four games this season with a dislocated knee, represent a combined $108.2 million cap hit in 2026. Trading both players without eating the bulk of their salary will be difficult and releasing them outright would result in an enormous dead cap hit — but it’s unlikely for both players to return in 2026 on their current contracts.

McDaniel said it will be Hill’s decision whether he wants to continue his career, and that the team would continue to «support his rehabilitation and have consistent honest conversations when he’s ready to have them.»

The Dolphins are currently projected to be $6.4 million over the salary cap entering next season but own five picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL draft. McDaniel stressed the importance of building through the draft, as Miami did with its 2025 class.

«I think that 7-10 is not good enough — 1-6 is certainly not good enough, but the response that you saw with our football came from somewhere,» McDaniel said. «It’s our jobs to identify exactly the parts of the solution and build upon that and nothing else. So, I don’t see a complete rebuild. What I see is a team that needs to make smart decisions and compound those smart decisions so that the interest can be conveyed.»

The Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier parted ways on Oct. 31. Champ Kelly has been serving as the team’s interim GM. Three of the reported candidates to become the Dolphins’ new general manager are executives with the San Francisco 49ers (Josh Williams, Tariq Ahmad and RJ Gillen) and overlapped with McDaniel during his time with the franchise.