Mike McDaniel says Dolphins owner Steve Ross ‘really frustrated’

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was “frustrated” after the teams 27-24 loss Sunday to the Carolina Panthers.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he met with Ross after the game — which he does after every game — and said both men voiced their frustration with each other.

“He was really frustrated, just like I was,” McDaniel said. “We talked about the challenge ahead to get ready for the Chargers and that was really the extent of it.”

The Dolphins led 17-0 early in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, before allowing Carolina to close the game with a 27-7 run. Since McDaniel was hired in 2022, the Dolphins were 10-0 in games where they led by three scores at any point.

Miami’s 1-4 start is its worst since 2019. While the team’s previous two coaches, Brian Flores and Adam Gase, were fired at the end of their third seasons, Ross fired Joe Philbin after a 1-3 start in 2015, and Tony Sparano after a 4-9 start in 2011.

McDaniel has insisted that worrying about his job security would take his focus away from doing his actual job, and that is not something he is willing to do.

With the losses piling, McDaniel said he’s tired of talking about improving — but recognizes that the conversations will continue until the on-field results change.

“It’s frustrating because there’s a lot of talking and we need to major in doing,” he said Monday. “I don’t think anybody wants to hear me talk about it as much as I don’t feel like saying it, but it doesn’t change the steadfast reality that is you have to get better at things or you’ll continue having the same results.”