Dolphins fire McDaniel as another Harbaugh suitor emerges
Another potential suitor for John Harbaugh entered the drawing.
The Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday, making them the eighth NFL team to have a head coaching vacancy.
The offensive-minded McDaniel went 35-33 with two playoff appearances during his four seasons in Miami, but the Dolphins finished with a losing record in each of the last two years, including a 7-10 mark in 2025.
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the end of the season, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of a comprehensive change,” Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross said in a statement.
McDaniel, 42, told reporters this week that he would participate in the Dolphins’ interview process for a new general manager to replace Chris Grier, who was fired in October.
But now the Dolphins are moving forward with a whole new regime, and it’s not hard to connect them to Harbaugh, whom the Baltimore Ravens fired this week after 18 seasons as head coach.
Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander was reportedly scheduled to interview Thursday for the Dolphins general manager job. Alexander spent two decades within the Ravens organization, and much of his tenure overlapped with Harbaugh’s.
Alexander has since spent the last two seasons working with Harbaugh’s younger brother, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Other candidates for Miami’s GM job include Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly; San Francisco 49ers director of scouting Josh Williams; and Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, according to ESPN, which reported that the decision to fire McDaniel was not related to Harbaugh’s availability.
But the possibility of a Harbaugh-Alexander duo in Miami poses a threat to the Giants, who have been considered a favorite for Harbaugh’s services.
The Giants position has the advantage of already having a promising young quarterback in place, Jaxson Dart.
Miami, meanwhile, is in a state of uncertainty at QB. Tua Tagovailoa has been benched for the final three games of 2025, and releasing him this offseason would leave the Dolphins with $99 million in dead money through 2027.
Earlier this week, Tagovailoa said he was open to a fresh start elsewhere. Seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers has started Miami’s last three games, going 1-2.
But Harbaugh doesn’t have a prior working relationship with Giants general manager Joe Schoen, which makes the Miami GM’s next move all the more interesting.
Harbaugh, 63, is 180-113 as a head coach, and he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory following the 2012 season.
