Dolphins Are Second Team to Allow Assitant to Serve As Head Coach in Preseason

NFL preseason is a time when teams try out new schemes, and allow rookie and lower-tier players to stake their claims for roster spots. It is also a time for general experimentation before the regular season begins. The Miami Dolphins are using the experimentation aspect of preseason to give an assistant the chance to become a head coach.

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According to Mike Cugno, “Dolphins Assistant HC/TE Coach Jon Embree will handle head coaching duties in the second half of tonight’s preseason game vs. the Bucs. The Dolphins are using this as a practice run should Mike McDaniel ever have to miss a game (i.e. Covid). McDaniel will still call plays for the offense.”

The Dolphins will allow tight ends and assistant head coach Jon Embree to take over as head coach for the second half of the final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Embree will get a chance to test his skill set at running the team, and it will serve as an audition should Mike McDaniel ever not be available.

This is fantastic news for Embree, as he will get some valuable reps at running this Dolphins team.

The Dolphins are now the second team to allow this to happen in preseason, as the Los Angeles Rams also did the same with Aubrey Pleasant. Pleasant served as head coach for the entirety of Week 2 when the Rams took on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Pleasant not only got to run the team but he also walked away with a victory. Despite it being preseason, getting a win as an acting head coach has got to feel great.

The Dolphins will likely also hope that Embree can guide the team to a second-half victory when he steps into the role of head coach.

The final preseason game for most teams is the last chance for fringe players to make their cast for a roster spot, but it also acts as the “dress rehearsal” for a lot of teams in the NFL. If starters have not yet suited up for action in preseason, the third game is generally when that happens.

That means Embree might get a chance to use some Dolphins starters in his lineup against starters for the Buccaneers. This is assuming starters don’t play only in the first half of the game.

The Dolphins have plenty of players who have yet to play due to injury, so it will be interesting to see if those players will finally get to see the field before the regular season kicks off on Sep. 8.