he Miami Dolphins announced their decision to move on from head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons. The news comes after the Dolphins missed the playoffs for their second consecutive season and had their worst record since 2019.Â
Miami started the year off slow as they went 1-6 through seven games; however, the team had a remarkable turnaround in the second half as they won five out of six games. Unfortunately, the team’s 7-10 record was not deemed good enough for owner Stephen Ross to retain McDaniel for the 2026 season.
This was surprising as NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport had recently reported that McDaniel was expected to return for the 2026 season.
Tyreek Hill Sends Message
Following the news of Mike McDaniel’s dismissal, All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill took to social media to post a GIF of comedian Kevin Hart saying “damn”.
That’s all we need, unless you’d like to set customization options.
Additionally, Hill responded to Fox Sports Radio host Mark Gunnells who posted that McDaniel was his No. 1 target for the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator position. Hill said, “Mike don’t fit y’all scheme buddy sorry to tell ya.”
Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill were paired for four seasons. One of the first moves Mike McDaniel made as the Dolphins head coach was to tell general manager Chris Grier to acquire him once Miami was in trade talks with the Chiefs. Under McDaniel, Hill had the two best receiving seasons of his career. In 2022, Hill set a new Dolphins franchise record with 1,710 receiving yards and earned a top-10 MVP finish and was selected as a first-team All-Pro. In 2023, Hill once again set a Dolphins franchise record with 1,799 receiving yards, another top-10 MVP finish and another first-team All-Pro. For his efforts in the 2023 season, Tyreek Hill was named by his peers as the league’s best player in NFL Network’s annual top 100 players list.
Tyreek Hill’s future with the Dolphins remains to be seen. Despite being under contract, insiders expect the Dolphins to part ways with him following the dislocated knee he suffered this year. Regardless of whether Hill returns to the Dolphins, his partnership with Mike McDaniel is over in Miami.
Mike McDaniel’s Tenure in Miami
Aside from two statistically dominant seasons by Hill, the pair produced winning football in Miami. The Dolphins made the playoffs in their first two seasons with McDaniel and Hill, which marked the first time Miami had made back-to-back postseason appearances since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Unfortunately, in 2024 the team took a step back as the Dolphins were without their starting quarterback for a majority of the season. Then in Week 4 of the 2025 season, Hill dislocated his knee and missed the remainder of the season.
Ultimately, with McDaniel and Hill the Dolphins provided some exciting moments. They emphasized players with speed, which resulted in the team providing weekly highlights. Unfortunately, the Dolphins failed to snap the team’s playoff win drought as they went 0-2 in their two playoff games.
Hill carries a massive cap hit in 2026—roughly $51.9 million, with $36 million guaranteed—which could make it difficult for the Dolphins to move on. However, with it being the final year of his contract, Miami could explore options such as absorbing some of the cost or finding a trade partner, especially given Hill’s occasional public frustration during his time in Miami.
One team frequently mentioned whenever Hill appears disgruntled is a reunion with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he began his career and won a Super Bowl in the 2019–20 season. Hill spent six seasons with Kansas City before joining Miami.
While the Chiefs are also set for significant offseason changes, Hill addressed the possibility of returning to Kansas City in a Snapchat video on Thursday, giving a simple seven-word response.
“We’ll see what happens in the offseason,” Hill said, answering a fan without shutting down the question.
Hill’s connection with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes over their six seasons together was one of the best in the NFL. Yet, there’s still a lot of unpredictability heading into this offseason and the 2026 season—not just regarding Hill’s health and production, but Mahomes as well. The star QB suffered a torn ACL late in the year, in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
How the Chiefs approach the offseason—and whether they show interest in adding a wide receiver coming off an injury who will turn 32 in March—will be intriguing to watch.
Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to a NFL Preseason 2025 game between Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium…Read More | (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Hill’s two best statistical seasons came in 2022 and 2023 with the Dolphins, when he surpassed 1,700 receiving yards in both campaigns. Over the course of his career, he has recorded 819 receptions for 11,363 yards and 83 touchdowns. During his six seasons with Kansas City, he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in four of them.
