An NFL player’s or coach’s fortunes can change quickly over the course of a year. Last offseason, many viewed Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as a head coaching candidate.This offseason, he was fired.
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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has gone through a similar transition. Following the Eagles’ disappointing 2023 collapse, his rear end was close to getting charbroiled. But he picked himself off the hot seat in 2024 and led Philadelphia to Super Bowl glory.
At the NFL’s Annual Meetings, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel admitted the NFL is the “fastest changing world in sports.” Amidst rumors about his seat getting warm, he wants to experience the transformation Sirianni enjoyed this past season.
Here’s the full context of Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel mentioning Eagles Super Bowl-winning coach Nick Sirianni starting last season on the hot seat.
He speaks candidly about how he understands nothing is guaranteed in the NFL and he can never feel entitled to his job. https://t.co/AE64lgjdE3 pic.twitter.com/ZSm7hEzEpZ
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) March 31, 2025
This remark naturally drew the attention of Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. They talked about McDaniel’s admission on the Nightcap. Notably, neither man felt optimistic about McDaniel replicating Sirianni’s path. For Sharpe, it boiled down to roster quality.
“Does he realize how talented the Eagles are? What a job Howie Roseman has done… if you’re on that hot seat, you’re getting fired, Mike McDaniel,” Shannon Sharpe said.
The Dolphins have some talented pieces, particularly at the offensive skill positions. However, their depth and overall star power pales in comparison to Philadelphia’s. For McDaniel to copy Sirianni’s efforts, Miami would have to exceed their current expectations.
Chad Johnson offers hope to Mike McDaniel
Despite their 2023 flameout, the Eagles entered the 2024 campaign as a Super Bowl contender. They made good on that projection, and are now co-favorites (+600) to capture Super Bowl LX. The Dolphins, meanwhile, are tied for the 17th-best odds (+5000) to win Super Bowl LX. That’s tied for eighth-best in the AFC, meaning they’re not anticipated to even be a playoff team in 2025.
Yes, Miami and McDaniel have a steep mountain to climb if they want to be this year’s Philadelphia. But Johnson thinks, if things can break a certain way, McDaniel and Co. could go on a deep run. To him, it’s all dependent on how McDaniel’s stars perform.
“Players get coaches fired, and players keep coaches’ jobs… there’s one thing that can save him, though… if that offense looks like it did [in 2023]. If Tua [Tagovailoa] stays upright and stays healthy, and [Jaylen] Waddle and Tyreek [Hill] contribute the way they did… the identity for the Dolphins has always been their offense,” Chad Johnson outlined.
Sharpe countered, asking “what good team [the Dolphins] beat” two seasons ago. Johnson didn’t have an answer, because Miami beat up the league’s bad squads. The only franchise they defeated who had a winning record in 2023 were the Dallas Cowboys (12-5). The same Cowboys team who was whipped by the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. So, does that really count?
McDaniel would surely argue, yes, but the rest of the NFL world would dismiss him. The Dolphins also struggle immensely in cold weather, limiting their playoff upside. Nobody can fault McDaniel for being optimistic. But barring a surprise, he and Slowik – who joined his staff after his dismissal from Houston – could both be joining new organizations in 2026.
