Despite an 0-2 start for the Miami Dolphins, there’s a scenario where head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier keep their jobs that doesn’t require them to make the playoffs this season.
Per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, one person familiar with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ thinking noted it’s not as simple as “playoffs or bust” to determine if McDaniel and/or Grier will be back in 2026.
After the end of the 2024 season when the Dolphins missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record, Ross said in a statement that Grier and McDaniel were being retained while noting that maintaining “continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that the status quo is good enough.”
Louis-Jacques noted the “status quo” comment from Ross was more about process than results, though “there is a limit to his patience with the team’s results.”
The results through two games have been pretty terrible for the Dolphins. They lost by 25 points in Week 1 to the Indianapolis Colts in which they were outgained by more than 200 yards (418 to 211).
Miami’s 211 total yards were the second-fewest in a single game with McDaniel as head coach, ahead of only a 205-yard performance in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks last season when Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle played quarterback.
Week 2 saw the Dolphins lose 33-27 at home to the New England Patriots. It was the first time New England scored at least 30 points in a game since Week 6 of the 2022 season.
There have also appeared to be issues behind the scenes dating back to last season. Tyreek Hill said in January he wanted out because he had to “do what’s best for my career.”
Tua Tagovailoa told reporters at the start of training camp that Hill, who was not traded nor released, had to work to rebuild his relationship with the team as a result of those comments.
Hill has also appeared frustrated on the sidelines during games to start this season. The Athletic’s Michael Silver reported in the past that McDaniel has been “overly lenient” with star players, but he has been working to correct that even as the on-field results haven’t improved.
Things don’t get any easier for the Dolphins this week, as they play on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
A loss would mark Miami’s first 0-3 start since 2019 when the organization was perceived to be tanking in an attempt to land the No. 1 pick in the draft the following year.
