Dolphins Extend Key Piece to Championship Hunt

The Miami Dolphins extended a key piece to their championship puzzle on Friday, agreeing to a contract extension with head coach Mike McDaniel. According to NFL insider Jeff Darlington, the extension keeps McDaniel with the Dolphins through the 2028 season.

Miami had the top-ranked offense in the NFL a season ago and is looking to do more of the same this year. They will be seeking their third straight trip to the postseason this year, as well.

Led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami has become a threat in the AFC. Tagovailoa gets to work in a team-friendly offensive attack that McDaniel built for him that involves quick passes and a ton of movement from the wide receivers. McDaniel is an innovative offensive mind and it has translated to wins on the field for Miami.

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Stars Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle help the offense run smoothly, giving McDaniel all sorts of credit for what he has built so far. While the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game under McDaniel, the head coach believes it will happen soon.

This extension signals that the Miami front office believes more success is coming as well. It has been 24 years since the Dolphins won a playoff game, something that McDaniel isn’t shying away from.

“You get what you emphasize,” McDaniel said Thursday, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “Well, why not find ways to emphasize finishing in everything you do? Obsess about it. Why not have for half the offseason, you’re trying to have staff meetings at different times during the day. I had every staff meeting I put at like 7:24 or 3:24 or 5:24 — the number 24. To you guys, it means nothing. That’s how many years it’s been since the organization has won a playoff game. We are going to hear about that come playoff time. You think? So to me, you do that to empower guys to know what’s coming. To understand it, to not run from it.”

Through his two seasons with the Dolphins, McDaniel has posted a record of 20-14 in the regular season. His laid-back leadership style has resonated with the players and Miami is looking to push themselves forward into the elite teams in the AFC.

If McDaniel lasts two more seasons with Miami — which in all likelihood he will — he would become the first head coach to finish four seasons with the team since Dave Wannstedt in 2000-03. The Dolphins have a lot of pressure on them this season but McDaniel has given no indication that he can’t handle it.

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