Miami Dolphins Tight End Darren Waller Discusses Shocking Details Of Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s Firing
In the National Football League, they tell you to expect the unexpected. It’s a nice little cliché coaches love to throw around during training camp. But when “unexpected” walks through the door in the form of a billionaire owner interrupting your morning meeting, the reality hits different. It hits cold.
That’s exactly what happened to Mike McDaniel, the now-former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, in a scene that feels less like professional sports and more like a rejected script from Succession.
Thanks to Miami Dolphins Tight End Darren Waller, we now have a fly-on-the-wall account of the moment the McDaniel era in Miami came to a screeching, awkward halt. Waller, appearing on the “Glory Daze” podcast with Johnny Manziel, painted a picture of a Thursday morning that started with promise and ended with a notification on a smartphone.
A Thursday Morning Ambush
It was supposed to be business as usual. Or, as usual, things get four days after your season ends. Waller was in McDaniel’s office for his exit interview. The vibe? Optimistic. They were “pow-wowing,” as Waller put it. They were breaking down the season, talking scheme, and looking ahead to 2026. McDaniel even told the tight end he definitely wanted him back. The future was being built in real-time.
Then, at 9:42 AM, the future got canceled. According to Waller, Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross didn’t just knock; he essentially kicked the door in. The Dolphins owner joined the conversation, but the air had clearly left the room.
“The conversation kind of hits a lull,” Waller said to Manziel. “I’m sitting across the desk from Mike, and Stephen Ross is standing there just kind of looking at me, like, ‘It’s time for you to get the hell out.’”
McDaniel, reading the room and likely the writing on the wall, told Waller they’d finish up later. Spoiler alert: They did not finish up later.
From Massages To Breaking News
Here is where the story turns from awkward to genuinely surreal. Waller leaves the office, probably wondering why the owner was staring daggers at him, and heads downstairs to get a massage.
By the time he got off the table and checked his phone, the push notifications were already lighting up. McDaniel was out. Fired. Gone.
“I’m like, damn,” Waller said. “Like this [stuff] cold for real.”
“Cold” is certainly one word for it. “Dubious” is another. Ross writes the checks. If he wants to fire a coach, that’s his prerogative. But the timing? The execution? It feels a little messy.
Usually, Black Monday lives up to its name. If you survive until Thursday, you generally assume you’re safe to start planning OTA schedules. Heck, usually you fire a guy before he starts conducting exit interviews with veteran players about next year’s roster. The idea that Ross woke up on a Thursday, four days after the season ended, and suddenly decided, “You know what? Today’s the day,” feels impulsive at best.
The Human Side Of the Business
Beyond the X’s and O’s and the front office drama, Waller’s account reminds us that these coaches are human beings. He spoke glowingly of McDaniel, defending his brilliance and his ability to prepare the team.
“This dude is like… the [stuff] that he’s preaching, what he’s teaching, how detailed he is… I feel prepared going into every game,” Waller said.
He described a coach who was accountable, smart, and willing to learn. But in the NFL, being smart and accountable sometimes isn’t enough when the owner gets an itch to make a change.
Whether Ross made the move because John Harbaugh became available or simply because he ran out of patience with mediocrity remains up for debate. But the optics of firing a guy right after he tells a player, “I want you back,” is a tough look.
McDaniel leaves the Dolphins with a perfectly even 35-35 record. He’s a .500 coach on paper, but to guys like Waller, he was much more. Now, McDaniel hits the job market, while the Dolphins hit the reset button yet again.
