By the second Monday of this year, Mike McDaniel’s confidence had taken a severe tumble. The week prior, he was showing up to work envisioning a team turnaround and even being part of the team’s interview process for its next GM. “I’m the head coach until told otherwise,” McDaniel had firmly stated that same day. He was told otherwise just three days later. And if you are to believe the head coach’s inner circle, it was not owner Stephen Ross’ decision alone. Troy Aikman played a major role in the firing, too.

“I just found out McDaniel got fired, and I was hot!” McDaniel’s childhood friend and comedian, Dan Soder, said on the Soder Podcast. “Because they told him he was going to be all right. They were like, ‘You’re going to get one more season. We’re searching for a new GM.’ I think Troy Aikman got Mike fired.”

The timing of Soder’s allegations is certainly interesting, given how Aikman has been a major part of the front office lately.

As reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero and alleged by Soder, the retired quarterback has been helping the team with a general manager search as Stephen Ross “seeks additional perspectives on the team’s direction.” The Hall of Famer will also be sitting in on interviews, similar to how the Washington Commanders employed former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers to help in their coaching and GM searches. Aikman, however, will not stay with the organization beyond that, unlike Myers. But what makes Aikman such a strong candidate to be considered for an advisory role? His connections.

Thanks to his weekly Monday Night Football assignments, the 59-year-old has built enough relationships around the league to be able to “gather information” and “shape the search.” But that might also mean another thing: Aikman making use of those same connections to find a new head coach for the Dolphins, a move, Soder theorizes, is driven by hate.

“When you watch football as a fan, you notice when broadcasters are slanted for or against you, okay? Like you watch Chris Collinsworth, he loves Patrick Mahomes. He’s gonna bring up Patrick Mahomes any chance he gets because he just wants to slob his knob. Now, when having a friend that’s an NFL coach, you listen more when people talk about your friend. And Troy Aikman shi-s on McDaniel in a way that I’m like, ‘He doesn’t like Mike’.

“He’s been my buddy since seventh grade. And he worked his way up to a head coach. But he’ll get a gig right somewhere else. I think he’s better off because I think Dolphins are a sh— organization. I think it’s ran by an old f—k that stabbed Mike in the back after he told him he was going to be all right for another season.”

If so, it’s also understandable why the team suddenly changed its mind despite McDaniel signing a three-year extension in August 2024. While the fired coach showed flashes of production, it pretty much went downhill after that. In his first season with the team, McDaniel turned around an offense that hadn’t finished in the Top 10 in total yards since 1995, to sixth in the league. The next season, too, the team led the NFL in total offense as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa finished with a league-leading 4,624 passing yards.

However, this season, not only did Miami finish 7-10, but it was also the franchise’s second consecutive losing season after making the playoffs in 2022 and 2023.

Despite the exit, teams across the league continue pursuing the 42-year-old play-caller for his innovative offensive schemes.​

Mike McDaniel faces first rejection post-Dolphins firing

McDaniel draws interest from multiple NFL teams for head coaching, coordinator, and other roles after his recent dismissal. Yet the Atlanta Falcons, valued at $6.35 billion, passed on him despite a prior working relationship that fueled early speculation.​

The former head coach served as an offensive assistant with the Falcons in 2015 and 2016, when Matt Ryan led the team to a Super Bowl appearance, falling short against the Patriots in overtime. Still, Atlanta pivoted to former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as their next leader.

However, McDaniel garners attention from several other franchises eyeing his experience.

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• Raiders: Head coach vacancy, with McDaniel interviewing on Monday, January 19.​
• Buccaneers: Offensive coordinator role, interview scheduled for Friday, January 23.​
• Chargers: Offensive coordinator position.​
• Ravens: Head coach opening; already interviewed on January 15.​

Other teams like the Eagles and Lions have also shown interest in McDaniel’s services.​

Criticism from media figures is commonplace for players and coaches in the league, and McDaniel has faced plenty during his four years as the HC. The Dolphins aim to rebuild after yet another postseason drought (and no Super Bowl win since 1974). They move forward with fresh leadership, but the same old fractured locker room.​