As we head into the 2025 NFL season, Mike McDaniel faces a critical year with heightened expectations and a multitude of challenges that could define his future in Miami. At the heart of these challenges is a simple yet undeniable truth: Mike McDaniel has to win.
The Dolphins have yet to show sustained success in each of his seasons as head coach. Regardless of their post-season appearances in the majority of his years, they always prove they are not ready for the big moment. And it starts at the top. Mike McDaniel needs to instill confidence in his players and coaches around him that he is fit for the job.
One of McDaniel’s biggest assets is his innovative offensive schemes, which have helped elevate the Dolphins’ offense into one of the most explosive units in the league. However, he must now focus on ensuring that his offense can click no matter the magnitude of the opponent or the moment.
This high-powered offense cannot afford to become one-dimensional. Opponents have caught on to the eye candy and the scheme, so McDaniel needs to evolve his offense to keep defenses on their toes.
Whether it’s improving the running game (which should always be the priority) or finding new ways to utilize the passing game beyond simply stretching the field with speed, he needs to diversify. With Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington, the Chargers, and, of course, Buffalo on the schedule, we will certainly find out if he has it in him.
McDaniel must also improve at making in-game decisions to compete with those teams and their head coaches. His challenge success rate has been horrendous, costing the team valuable timeouts and opportunities to correct mistakes.
To make things worse, McDaniel’s personnel usage isn’t any better, with key players not being on the field in critical moments for whatever reasons he concocts. He also tends to overuse players because it’s all that seems to work—De’Von Achane and Jonnu Smith late in the season come to mind.
As head coach, McDaniel is tasked with more than just managing the game plan. He must also hold his coaching staff and players accountable for their actions on and off the field. As a young, unconventional coach, McDaniel’s player-friendly approach has been one of his strengths, but he must now balance that with the discipline necessary to instill a winning culture.
The success of the Dolphins will ultimately depend on McDaniel’s ability to cultivate an environment where everyone—from coaches to players—understands their roles, takes responsibility, and performs to their fullest potential.
A great head coach can overcome these obstacles, adapt to changing circumstances, and build a culture of success. The question now is whether Mike McDaniel can do just that. While his offensive creativity has impressed, that is not enough to take a team to the promised lands. Will he have the ability to win, evolve, and lead these players to postseason success, or will his tenure with the Dolphins fizzle out, similar to how his regular season ends?
