Mike McDaniel sure is getting kicked while he is down.
The Miami Dolphins are 1-6 and have looked like a mess this season. They’ve had a big drop off from their 8-9 season last year, and Tua Tagovailoa has not played well in 2025, as he’s thrown a league-worst 10 interceptions. McDaniel is in his fourth season with the team and is now really hearing the criticism from all comers.
On Sunday, ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi gave some harsh criticism of McDaniel while appearing on “Sunday NFL Countdown.” The criticism was personal, with Bruschi picking on the way McDaniel looks, leads and behaves.
“That kind of picture … I’ll just be honest with you, I don’t see it with Mike McDaniel. If I had to see that man in front of me with some of the things I’ve seen him say … I don’t know how I’d be able to play in that locker room … the man that I want leading me is the exact opposite of that man in Miami,” Bruschi said of McDaniel.
Wow. These were some chilling words from Tedy Bruschi on Mike McDaniel that cut deep.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) October 21, 2025
And this was on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” BEFORE that debacle against the Browns.
pic.twitter.com/weqVSHqiaQ
Did Bruschi cross the line with his criticism? That was a targeted attack and as personal as it gets.
Plus, let’s think about things. Bruschi played for Bill Belichick in New England. With his raggedy clothes and cut-off hoodies, did Belichick portray a natural-born leader? Does he strike you as having an imposing and intimidating figure like Dan Campbell, for instance? Not at all.
There was all kinds of talk in 2023 of McDaniel being a genius, an offensive wizard, and the person who had fixed Tagovailoa. Miami had the No. 1 offense in terms of yards in 2023. McDaniel presided over that, and now all of a sudden he’s not fit to be a leader? It’s wild how much the perception of people changes depending on the outcomes of games. It sure doesn’t help that McDaniel and Tagovailoa don’t seem to be on the same page.
