Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel, Why That Might Matter for Giants' Quest for Harbaugh

Did the Giants suddenly get their most significant competition for John Harbaugh yet?

John Harbaugh is expected to be in high demand among NFL teams with head coach openings. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins, who fired their general manager Chris Grier in-season, have now completed a clean sweep by firing head coach Mike McDaniel as well.

The move to dismiss McDaniel makes things very interesting for the New York Giants if ex-Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is indeed their top choice.

The Dolphins are expected to seek an interview with Harbaugh, who could find Miami’s situation appealing for several reasons.

One, there is no state income tax in Florida, unlike in New Jersey, where people making over $1 million per year can be subject to a 10.75% tax rate on income.

Second, the Dolphins’ general manager search is reportedly nearing completion, with Chad Alexander being among the reported finalists. Harbaugh and Alexander are said to be close, as are Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Harbaugh.

Why Miami isn’t necessarily a slam dunk to land Harbaugh

Oct 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stands on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

That all being said, the Giants' head coaching job offers a few more perks that Miami right now can’t match, starting with a more stable quarterback situation in Jaxson Dart. 

Dart, who on Monday told reporters that he wants a head coach “who can match my intensity, and I can match theirs, and have the same vision and outlook of how we want things to be done and to win at the highest level,” is a far more stable prospect than Tua Tagovailoa, who has not worked out for Miami.

The Dolphins are, in fact, expected to move on from Tagovailoa this offseason, a move that if indeed made would slap a $99.2 million dead money cap hit on the Dolphins’ already strained cap situation if the move were made before June 1 or a $67.4 million dead money strain this year with $31.8 million set to accelerate in the 2027 league year.

Miami, per Over the Cap, is already in the red by $34.111 million in effective cap space and $23.233 million overall, meaning they will have to do some significant cleanup over the next two years to get their cap back to a healthy state.

The Dolphins also pick No. 11 in the draft order, whereas the Giants pick fifth.

The quarterback situation, though, could be a stumbling block to Miami’s chances of landing Harbaugh, according to Ian O’Connor of The Athletic.

“If I’m a 63-year-old coach, I’m more inclined to go to a team like the Giants or Titans who already have a quarterback in place,” he told the Locked On Giants podcast in an upcoming interview.

Harbaugh is reportedly expected to begin interviewing with teams next week.

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