James Atama
Before the 2024 season kicked off, Mike McDaniel was questioned about potentially relinquishing his play-calling responsibilities but firmly stated that he would not be stepping down. A year later, he finds himself faced with the same question.
McDaniel’s play-calling has sparked considerable debate among fans and the media. In a game against the Houston Texans, the situation grew dire when Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was captured on a live microphone correctly predicting a play that McDaniel had called.
The offensive system McDaniel implemented in Miami seems to be faltering, making it reasonable to consider a new strategy from someone else—a thought that doesn’t resonate with McDaniel himself.
McDaniel expressed to the media his belief that he remains the best choice for play-calling duties.
“Yeah, I think I always consider it, just because that’s something that I don’t enter into for any other reason but I think the team is best served with me calling the plays,” said McDaniel. “The second that changes, I’ll change that. It’s not a self-serving process and part of the evaluation process in general is am I doing this because I’m the best person to facilitate this within this offense and our players, and the second that changes, I’ll change.”
After the 2024 season, it’s uncertain if that perspective will still hold.
McDaniel gave the same response at the beginning of the 2024 season, yet problems like delays in getting plays in and calling inappropriate plays for certain situations persisted.
If McDaniel continues to handle play-calling, it may ultimately jeopardize his position as head coach of the Dolphins. The head coach has repeated the same mistakes over the past three years without any sign of improvement. How can any progress be expected in 2025?
It’s possible that the issue lies not with the play-calling itself but with the plays being chosen. Opposing teams have successfully neutralized Tyreek Hill in the game plan, and McDaniel has struggled to provide an effective solution. His most significant adjustment has been to depend more on Jonnu Smith.
This update is unlikely to inspire confidence among fans, as it doesn’t instill much optimism for the upcoming season. There is hope that McDaniel will consider bringing in someone better suited for the play-calling role.
