Former 49ers OC's fate seems all but sealed following Dolphins' latest drama

As bad as things may seem for the San Francisco 49ers after just one injury-plagued week of the regular season, at least they don't have to worry about likely head coach dismissals.

The same can't be said of Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, however.

It won't take long to find the Niners' former offensive coordinator atop (or very near it) the list of head coaches currently on the hot seat, and Miami's disastrous 33-8 defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts did McDaniel zero favors with regard to his job security.

Everything from locker room tension to accusations of McDaniel's team playing soft have probably already doomed his immediate future, barring some sort of incredulous turnaround in South Beach that starts, well... now.

That said, one latest bit of news only casts more doubt on whether McDaniel can survive even a few more weeks in Miami.

Dolphins had players-only meeting after Week 1 loss

Thanks to linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who described such to the Miami Herald's Omar Kelly, we now know the Dolphins held a players-only meeting following the brutal defeat to Indy in Week 1.

Brooks stressed the need to have "the belief," going so far as to say, "If you don't have belief, you don't have nothing."

It's hard not to read between the lines and see how McDaniel might be a figurehead of such a statement.

So, if the Dolphins don't execute an immediate (and visible) turnaround in Week 2 in a key AFC East showdown against the New England Patriots, one could easily see how McDaniel's survivability would be grim.

Would 49ers entertain Mike McDaniel returning as coordinator?

Of course, as a head coach Kyle Shanahan protege, McDaniel suddenly becoming available again after a would-be firing opens the door to thinking about a reunion in the Bay Area, not unlike what San Francisco executed last offseason with ousted New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh on the defensive side of the ball.

That said, the 49ers already have an up-and-coming offensive coordinator in Klay Kubiak, who has been calling plays for Shanahan long before assuming this official title entering 2025.

Granted, if Kubiak gets plucked away by another team in 2026, that potentially opens the door for McDaniel's return, although there are more than a few sentiments out there suggesting the latter isn't overly eager to step back within Shanahan's shadow where he spent the overwhelming majority of his career before heading to South Florida.

McDaniel isn't at that point, though. If he's already considering potential jobs elsewhere, that'd indicate he's also fully checked out from his future in Miami.

Instead, he's likely trying to avoid what appears to be the obvious fate awaiting him.