McDaniel Pondered Play-Calling Change

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel says he'll continue to evaluate the best course of action

Mike McDaniel / Megan Briggs/GettyImages

Mike McDaniel called plays for one of the NFL’s top offenses for the past two seasons, and the Miami Dolphins head coach intends on continuing that role in 2024.

At the NFL owners meetings, McDaniel acknowledged that he thought “long and hard” about handing over the play-calling duties because of Miami’s late-season struggles.

While he pondered the possibility of handing over play selection, likely to offensive coordinator Frank Smith, McDaniel likely backed off making any hard and firm decision because the Dolphins finished 2023 with the top-ranked offense, averaging 401.3 yards per game.

The Dolphins finished second in the NFL in scoring (29.2), trailing only the Dallas Cowboys (29.9), but Miami’s late-season struggles in a 56-19 loss against the Baltimore Ravens and a 21-14 loss against the Buffalo Bills, which cost the Dolphins the AFC East division title, were byproducts of the late-season offensive slide.

The running sentiment is that if McDaniel gave up play-calling on every snap, his focus could go toward being a better head coach, potentially being on top of other decisions and being more involved on defense and special teams.

However, offensive-minded coaches generally call their own plays, and reluctantly ever give that power up.

McDaniel did tell the South Florida media attending the NFL owners meetings in Orlando that he’ll re-evaluate that decision during the team’s offseason work and during training camp this summer.