Waller spills details on McDaniel’s Dolphins dismissal. Another report surfaces
Dolphins fans received rare behind-the-scenes insight into the moments before Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins dismissal when tight end Darren Waller spilled the details on Thursday.
Appearing with former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel on the Glory Days podcast, Waller said McDaniel was fired shortly after his exit meeting with the coach.
“I think I was the last person that saw him before he got fired,” Waller said.
“My exit meeting was that Thursday morning, and he’s like, ‘Definitely want you back next year.’ We’re just reflecting on the year.”
According to Waller, owner Stephen Ross then entered the room.
“Stephen Ross kicks the door in,” Waller said, speaking in jest. “He comes in, we start talking, reflecting on the year. Then, the conversation kind of hits a lull. And I’m sitting across the desk from Mike. Stephen Ross is just standing there, and he’s kind of looking at me like..”
Waller nodded his head on the podcast, and Manziel said Waller must have realized that “It’s time for you to get the hell out.”
At that point, “I look at Mike, and he was like, ‘We’ll finish this conversation later,’” Waller said. “I know they had the GM search in full flow. I know they had big business to talk about.”
Waller said when he checked his phone soon after he left McDaniel’s office, he saw that McDaniel had been fired. McDaniel’s firing was reported about an hour after Waller left his office.
According to a source, McDaniel had told several players about their roles for 2025 during meetings over two days that preceded his firing.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who had said for weeks that McDaniel was expected to be retained, said Monday that McDaniel was fired despite being told he would keep his job.
But when pressed about whether McDaniel was ever assured that he would return in 2026, a person directly involved in McDaniel’s representation said that while his return was expected, McDaniel was given no guarantee.
McDaniel presented Ross with a plan to fix the team in a meeting two days after the season. Ross slept on the decision for two days and dismissed McDaniel less than 48 hours after the meeting.
While the Dolphins conduct their search for a replacement -- with five interviews now complete -- McDaniel has been generating interest among other teams seeking head coaches.
McDaniel interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens head coaching job on Thursday after previously interviewing for the head coaching openings with Atlanta, Tennessee and Cleveland.
McDaniel also has interviewed for the offensive coordinator job with Detroit and on Friday will interview for that same position with Tampa Bay.
As for Waller, he reiterated that he’s unsure if he will play next season. He will be a free agent in March.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 12:05 AM.
