Stephen A. Smith could not quite wrap his head around the Dolphins’ choosing to part ways with general manager Chris Grier and not coach Mike McDaniel too.
The ESPN star unloaded Friday during “First Take” on the Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross for his decision, especially with the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline approaching.
Miami has grossly disappointed at 2-7 and was coming off an inept 28-6 loss to the Ravens on Thursday night that included a sideline outburst by frustrated coach Mike McDaniel.
“This is BS. That’s the first fire? Really? That’s what we’re doing?” Smith said. “It was about Tua (Tagovailoa), it was about Mike McDaniel. And the brother gets fired first? All I know is this, I better hear Mike McDaniel’s name today. It better not be just Chris Grier. … I’m all for brothers as head coaches and GMs, we know what battles I’ve been fighting for over 30 years. But when you don’t get the job done, you don’t get the job done.”
Smith said he understood why the Dolphins’ parted ways with Grier after just three playoff appearances since he began as general manager in 2016, but was baffled why Ross stopped there and didn’t send a louder messaged to the team that “all your jobs are on the line, nobody’s safe.”
“Mike McDaniel with the glasses, giving one-word answers at the press conference, looking like a man from the Geek Squad from Best Buy coaching on the dam sideline, that brother gets to keep his job for the rest of the season with how this team has looked?” Smith said.
“Nah, that’s BS. I don’t want to here that. That man needs to be gone too.”
McDaniel, who is biracial, is 30-30 in four seasons as Dolphin coach and 0-2 in the playoffs, as the team is heading for a second straight losing campaign on his watch.
He reportedly is safe through the season, per ESPN.
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Miami is ranked 28th in yards per game and 23rd in yards allowed.
The offense has been without star receiver Tyreek Hill, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Week 4 win over the Jets.
Tagovailioa is having a miserable season, with 15 touchdowns to 11 interceptions and his lowest passer rating since his rookie season.
Smith doesn’t see a reason why McDaniel should get to finish the season if the Dolphins appear to have chosen a reset.
“This team is nosediving and he’s the first to go?” Smith said of Grier. “It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That’s all I’m trying to say. It just does. I don’t like it.
“I just find it hard to stomach watching these dudes that we sit up here and look at Mike McDaniel still having a job as a head coach. I just find it hard to stomach.”
