The Miami Dolphins have been operating without a general manager since October. While the hunt for a new one continues, head coach Mike Daniel will be part of the team’s interview process for its next general manager. What’s interesting is the fact that the coach’s own position is not secure in Miami.

“Per source with direct knowledge, multiple Dolphins’ GM candidates have NOT been told if McDaniel is returning,” insider Barry Jackson wrote on X.

Here’s the thing: McDaniel spent large parts of the 2025 season on the hot seat. He has been among the favorites to lose their job, after Miami lost seven of its first nine games. Sure, they rebounded with four consecutive wins and achieved a .500 record, but in the end, they still finished 7-10, a losing record for the second straight season.

So, McDaniel knows that the near future might not favor him. That said, his media interaction from Monday painted a somewhat positive picture.

“My understanding is that I am the coach of the Miami Dolphins until told otherwise,” he told the media, hinting that he might return. “We are not happy with the results. They are not up to the standard, and so my sole focus each hour that you can reach me in the foreseeable many hours is correcting and improving something that’s not good enough right now.”

He also said that they would get back together later in the week to discuss matters. However, he did not comment on whether the conversations would be about his job.

A source told ESPN that the franchise believed the head coach throughout their struggles and suggested their issues were because of the quarterback position. The HC had benched starter Tua Tagovailoa after their Week 15 loss in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers. Tagovailoa, who started 14 games, finished the season with 2660 passing yards—his fewest passing yards since 2021, and a career-high 15 interceptions.

So, McDaniel confirmed that 2026 will have quarterback competition and that they will find their starter eventually. That means the franchise might bring in a new player or turn to a signal-caller already on the roster.

The coach doesn’t envision a complete rebuild, but the offseason itself is going to be a tough one.

Insider Ian Rapoport reports the Miami Dolphins’ plans to retain Mike McDaniel

While many reports and insiders believe McDaniel might not return with the Dolphins in 2026, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared a contrary approach. According to his latest analysis and reporting, the Dolphins are willing to retain McDaniel in 2026, and the team believes that the HC could unlock unimaginable potential with the right general manager.

“Our understanding, this is something me and Pelissero over there have been reporting for the last several weeks, is that Mike McDaniel is expected to be back with the Miami Dolphins,” Rapoport said on Monday. “He’s obviously going to have a new general manager who will put him in a much better position to succeed.” 

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Rapoport seems to have a point because if the franchise didn’t want to retain him, the coach also wouldn’t be included in the process of searching for a new general manager.

However, if the team decides to stick with the coach, he will have to produce the results that he was hired for in 2022: to win games, win the playoffs, and Super Bowls.

Here are two important numbers McDaniel produced during his tenure in Miami so far:

• He is 35-33 with the Dolphins.
• The team reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 but lost both WildCard rounds.

The Dolphins’ search for a new general manager is on

The Dolphins have launched an aggressive search for a new general manager after parting ways with Chris Grier. He was fired in October after a bad loss to the Ravens dropped Miami to 2-7.

Under McDaniel’s leadership, the team won the next four games. So, there is some merit to the idea that the team might do well with the same coach and a new manager and quarterback in the mix.

And as per reports, multiple interview requests have already been made to executives around the league. That includes Rams assistant GM John McKay, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, 49ers vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, and also Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Miami is one of the two teams searching for a general manager. The Falcons fired Terry Fontenot, alongside head coach Raheem Morris, on Sunday, and the franchise is looking for new faces to lead the team.