This season has put Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and HC Mike McDaniel’s relationship through the fire. After back-to-back turnover-filled games and Tagovailoa’s benching against the Cleveland Browns, the two sat down for a string of honest meetings. And the signal-caller didn’t sugarcoat it: those tough talks were long overdue.

But could that affect the rapport he shares with the HC? If his latest interview is anything to go by, it’s a no! “[The relationship] has continued to grow,” Tagovailoa said on NFL on Prime. It was during a conversation with former Phins’ player Ryan Fitzpatrick on October 30. “This year has been one of those stepping stones of growth in terms of the conversations that are not easy to have, but they need to be had.

“That’s where Mike, he’s taken a big step forward, and that’s led to a lot of the harder conversations with player to player in the locker room as well.”

We saw a hint of that last month when the team kept losing, particularly after the Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. During the post-game conference, the QB criticized some teammates for showing up late or missing players-only meetings. However, his comments quickly spread and created tension inside the locker room.

A few days later, he apologized to his teammates. “I made a mistake,” the QB stated.

He felt he should have handled things privately instead of talking about it in public. He also mentioned that as a team leader, he should have protected the group instead of adding more noise after a tough loss.

That being said, coach Mike McDaniel backed his QB. He opined that Tagovailoa’s intentions were good but that the forum he chose to express them was wrong.

Anyway, the team’s faith paid off in the Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

After a tough stretch where Miami fell to 1-6, Tua Tagovailoa entered this game under heavy pressure. After all, he was struggling with turnovers and the team benched him in the fourth quarter against the Browns in Week 7. But then, he came up and won the Week 8 matchup, 34-10. He admitted later that it felt good to see things finally come together.

However, the pressure remains on the coach.

Miami’s Mike McDaniel remains on the hot seat

NFL insider Ian Rapoport provided a report prior to Miami’s Thursday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens. He echoed the sentiment that the Phins coach is under extreme pressure.

“Mike McDaniel’s job status is firmly up in the air, on the hot seat, as they say,” Rapoport said. “I do not sense anything imminent from owner Stephen Ross, who likes him, believes in him, and has invested in him.”

That said, he shared a couple of aspects on which the HC will be judged:

• How do the players respond?
• What is it like in the locker room?
• Can the players see themselves playing for McDaniel?

Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel took the team to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. But they failed in 2024. If another year goes by without the postseason seat, things might become hard for the coach.

After the Week 7 loss to the Browns, another team which has been struggling, questions again surfaced about McDaniel’s job security. However, team owner Stephen Ross does not plan to make any coaching changes right now. McDaniel said he talks with Ross after every game and refuses to speculate about his future while he still holds the job.

As things stand currently, the Dolphins also lost their Week 9 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, 28-6. Do you think McDaniel will remain in Miami next season? Let us know in the comments below.