Nine hours after addressing reporters in the wake of a humbling 28-6 loss to Baltimore, Mike McDaniel was at it again on Friday, speaking to Dolphins reporters via Zoom in the normal day-after-game media availability that’s required for all NFL head coaches.
And McDaniel, whose team now sits at 2-7, echoed many of the same points he made in a near-midnight news conference after the game.
He also offered a few fresh injury updates:
▪ Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu’s toe injury, sustained early in Thursday’s game, has created “issues” for him in being able to do his job. His status is “week to week,” McDaniel said.
▪ McDaniel said the team needs more information on Rasul Douglas’ toe injury to know how serious it is. Douglas, who left Thursday’s game in the third quarter, has been Miami’s best cornerback this season, and it would be damaging if he cannot play against Buffalo on Nov. 9.
▪ McDaniel said guard James Daniels and kicker Jason Sanders will play again this season, hopefully “sooner than later.” Neither has had a setback, the coach said.
Sanders hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game because of a preseason hip injury. Daniels sustained a pectoral injury early in the regular season opener and has been on IR since.
Daniels, Sanders, right tackle Austin Jackson and center Andrew Meyer are eligible to return off IR at any time. Liam Eichenberg also is eligible to come off the physical unable to perform list; McDaniel said last month that he’s dealing with a “chronic” injury.
So what are the chances of Jackson, Meyer and Eichenberg playing this season?
“More confident in Austin,” McDaniel said. “Second tier confidence in Meyer. Hopeful, but I would be lying if I said I expected Liam [to play this season]. He’s been going through some trials in the process.”
▪ Outside linebacker Chop Robinson is in concussion protocol.
▪ McDaniel said running back Ollie Gordon II, who left Thursday’s game with an ankle injury, could have returned if needed.
Asked how he will handle Tuesday’s trade deadline with his players, McDaniel said: “I know those conversations [happen] when your record is [2-7, but] that’s how the business works. They’re very layered. But you always have the best interest of the organization in mind.
“I participate in those conversations when called upon. I know those will occur over the coming days. But my main focus is coaching the players. Part of coaching the players is have them understand it’s not personal. There are a lot of questions. You have to explain where it’s coming from and be a human being [with players].”
McDaniel addressed other issues:
▪ Asked if his message is getting through to players, he said: “I would say so because they just used my messaging. Understand the details are the nitty gritty.” (McDaniel’s players often echo what he says in news conferences.) “I think the message is getting through. For various reasons,.. sometimes those details are being lost in the heat of battle. We did it the week before [vs. Atlanta] but didn’t do it this week.”
He said he gets “frustrated” when veterans don’t get those details right.
▪ McDaniel says he’s “hard on guys” in practice when there are procedural penalties and other avoidable issues.
“Beating ourselves is frustrating to the Nth degree,” he said.
▪ McDaniel said “winning will always be the priority.”
Here’s my postgame piece exploring seven major looming decisions and the view here on what the Dolphins should do.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 9:22 AM.
Barry Jackson
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.
