NFL insiders say Dolphins likely to keep Mike McDaniel in 2026

1 week ago 2

Hours ahead of the Miami Dolphins' regular season finale, it's still unclear if Mike McDaniel will remain the team's head coach in 2026.

After leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first two seasons, the team will finish below .500 for a second straight year. That downward trend resulted in Miami beginning a hunt for a new general manager to shepherd the franchise into a future without Tua Tagovailoa, but will McDaniel stick along for the ride?

Miami's second half surge after a 2-7 start had most believing McDaniel was safe, but recent reports said "the winds seem to have a shifted a bit" and the coach was in jeopardy. ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided the latest rumors about the coach.

"The feeling of the owner right now is they'd prefer to keep him," Schefter said on ESPN. "It doesn't mean that he's going to be safe. If they were making a decision today, Mike McDaniel is back in 2026 but there’s still going to be conversations that occur within this organization that help determine his future."

Rapoport provided a similar assessment of the situation Saturday evening and said the Dolphins are expected to hunt for an executive who is a good fit to "complement the existing football operation."

"Signs continue to point towards McDaniel returning for a fifth season, especially with the recent win over the Bucs and rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers showing promise. Since a 1-6 start, Miami is 6-3.

"Miami will launch its GM search in earnest next week, with help from Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who is consulting for the team and is expected to sit in on interviews. The focus is on finding a candidate with a strong scouting background to complement the existing football operation and revamp the roster."

McDaniel has a 35-32 record in the regular season heading into the team's 2025 finale against the New England Patriots.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL insiders say Dolphins likely to keep Mike McDaniel in 2026

Read Entire Article