"That’s what dysfunctional teams do" - Mike Florio slams Dolphins for stuck-in-loop culture under HC Mike McDaniel after firing Brian Flores
The Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as their coach in February 2022, just a month after firing Brian Flores. However, just three years into McDaniel's tenure in Miami, many analysts have predicted that the team could part ways with the coach later in 2025.
On Friday, analyst Mike Florio brutally slammed the Dolphins for their stuck-in-the-loop culture regarding coaches.
"Mike McDaniel — touchy, feely, talks a lot," Florio said on "NFL on NBC" . "I don't know how much he ultimately says, but he talks a lot. He’s got a very good relationship with his players. He’s a players’ coach — positive, not a lot of conflict with his players.
"Tyreek Hill tells the world he wants out of Miami, and their solution is to have extensive meetings with him to get to the point where he decides he wants to stay. Other coaches would be like, 'Get the hell out if you don’t want to be here. We want volunteers, not hostages,' like Mike Tomlin would say."
Florio continued:
"So I think you’re right, and the problem is, they overcorrected. That’s what dysfunctional teams do. They have a coach that leans too far one way, so they overcorrect with the next one. Now, the danger is going to be if Mike McDaniel doesn’t make it in Miami, they’ll overcorrect again with the next hire."
🎥 Mike Florio on Miami Dolphins' 'culture change' and moving on from Brian Flores for Mike McDaniel
"This whole 'we're changing, we're changing, we're changing' and then the end result is always the same. At some point, ownership has got to say, we have to find a different way." (
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Flores served as Miami's coach for three seasons, leading the team to a 24-25 record. He never led the franchise to the playoffs.
Flores had won four Super Bowls while working as a coach in different roles under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. However, he wasn't able to bring any glory to the Dolphins.
McDaniel, on the other hand, took the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first two years at the helm, but his team never made it past the wild-card round. In the 2024 season, Miami finished with an 8-9 record and didn't qualify for the postseason.
It will be interesting to see how Daniel fares next season, with the pressure building on him to deliver success.
Mike McDaniel pleased with Dolphins' standards at the end of minicamp
Mike McDaniel said he was pleased with the standards that his Dolphins players set at the mandatory minicamp.
“I think the point of our offseason program was to take action with what we want to do as a team in this period of time, understanding that you can’t play any games, but you can make a lot of gains in your game," McDaniel said on Thursday.
“I think a team bond has occurred where you have a team identity, a standard has been created of how we do our business, that is where I want it."
McDaniel will enter his fourth year with the Dolphins in the 2025 season. He has compiled a 28-23 record with the team so far.
The Dolphins will be aiming to return to the playoffs next season, with McDaniel also eyeing his first postseason win.
The Dolphins open their 2025 season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 7.