CLEVELAND — The Miami Dolphins’ new low of Sunday’s 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns is not expected to produce a change in football leadership, according to a report.
“No changes are expected at this time, I’m told,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X on Monday morning.
That would mean coach Mike McDaniel — and, by extension, general manager Chris Grier — seem safe in keeping their jobs this week as their seats grow intensively hotter.
McDaniel would appear to be under more imminent danger if owner Steve Ross became compelled to make a move within the season. Sunday’s lopsided defeat dropped the Dolphins to 1-6, before visiting the Atlanta Falcons (3-3) next Sunday.
But Ross appears to maintaining his trust in McDaniel.
“Owner Stephen Ross likes him and believes in him, has extended Mike McDaniel in the past and wants to go forward with Mike McDaniel,” Rapoport said on NFL Network.
McDaniel, who is 29-31, including playoffs, in his fourth season at the helm, has consistently said he doesn’t invest time in worrying about job security.
“The way I look at this job is I find it very offensive to all parties involved if I’m thinking about having the job. I need to be doing my job,” McDaniel said after the loss in Cleveland.
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“For as long as I coach for the Miami Dolphins and this organization, they’ll get everything from me, and I refuse to spend my time thinking about something that — you have a job, you do your job and you do it to the best of your ability.”
Rapoport continued: “The only thing that would change it is if, one, fans suddenly stopped showing up to the stadium, which could happen for a really bad team in a lost season, or two, if players stopped playing for him.”
The latter doesn’t seem to be on the verge of occurring, although some could argue it already did with a 25-point loss to the previously 1-5 Browns while committing four turnovers and 10 penalties.
But in the visitors’ locker room at Huntington Bank Field after Sunday’s game, players continued to say the right things on the topic of remaining receptive to McDaniel’s coaching.
“We’re not going to stop listening to our coaches because we’re 1-6,” cornerback Jack Jones said. “It’s a pecking order and it trickles down. We’re going to listen to our coaches, and the coaches are going to listen to whoever’s above them.
“We’re not going to come in the building and disrespect anybody. We’re going to come in the building and actually work harder because we want to win. It’s not like we’re happy with losing.”
Added outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips: “We’re not turning against him. We’re not turning against each other.”
Left tackle Patrick Paul said the problem isn’t McDaniel’s game planning or coaching but player execution on the field.
“I think we all believe in him as coach, and we have to execute as players,” Paul said.
On NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” coverage, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said Ross entered the 2025 season with the idea of giving McDaniel and Grier the full year, but results like the loss to the Browns are the type of matters that alter timelines.
“The plan from owner Stephen Ross was to give both Mike McDaniel and the general manager, Chris Grier, all of the season to see where the season went,” Florio said. “Now, they’re 1-6, they lose to the previously 1-5 Browns in blowout fashion. That timetable could change, and it could change quickly.”
This story will be updated.
