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McDaniel Pushes Back Against Idea Tyreek Issues Had Welker Fired

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said it was a tough decision to cut wide receivers coach Wes Welker

Alain Poupart

Miami Dolphins receivers coach Wes Welker, with wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (17) and Tyreek Hill (10) during a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami Dolphins receivers coach Wes Welker, with wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (17) and Tyreek Hill (10) during a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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INDIANAPOLIS — The notion of Tyreek Hill getting Wes Welker fired as Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach gained some traction in recent days, but head coach Mike McDaniel is pushing back at that notion.

Speaking at the scouting combine Tuesday morning, McDaniel denied the idea that issues getting Tyreek Hill under control led to Welker being fired.

"I could see why one could come to that conclusion," McDaniel said. "However, it wasn't at all. I have a high regard for Wes Welker, and generally, in my position, I have to do the hard thing, which in this case is look past the relationship. And for me, I take the job and the responsibility of being a head coach super serious, and I don't play with people's livelihoods. So for for me, when it's very important that I outline specifically what I'm looking for on the front end with with a coach, and in certain situations those things can't be delivered upon, who else is going to do the hard but right thing? That's my job. But it was motivated in things that were much beyond what happened with Tyreek at the end of the season."

Hill has been in the news since the end of the season, starting with McDaniel pointing out afterward that players being late for meetings had been a big problem in 2024.

Welker was one of two coaches fired after the 2024 season, along with special teams coordinator Danny Crossman.

Welker has since been replaced by former Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Robert Prince, while Craig Aukerman replaced Crossman as special teams coordinator.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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