Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross Encourages Sale At Trade Deadline While Wanting McDaniel To Win To Save Job

The Miami Dolphins are at the epicenter of the NFL's looming trade deadline and that's only because this franchise is also at the epicenter of stupid rudderless ownership.

The club is going nowhere, most NFL observers believe, with a 2-7 record that is well-earned, with poor quarterback play (Tua Tagovailoa is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions), and a suspect-at-best defense (they have a bottom 5 run defense, and bottom 10 scoring defense). 

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross (left) talks with general manager Chris Grier before a game in November 2022.

Ross Wants Talent Sale

This mess is coming off a nationally streamed blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens and the firing of general manager Chris Grier the following day that came about six years too late.

And now the club is hosting a garage sale, where its top talent is in the yard, and signs inviting other teams to visit are all over the NFL as Tuesday's trade deadline approaches. But this sale is not being done in a vacuum.

While owner Stephen Ross approved of, and even encouraged interim general manager Champ Kelly selling off valuable pieces of the roster if he could, he told coach Mike McDaniel that his job is safe for the moment and will remain that way if he can rally the team.

The Dolphins have shifted focus from Grier, who wanted to basically hold the line on keeping talent at the trade deadline, most notably receiver Jaylen Waddle, to fresh orders from Ross to make practically all players available at a good price, so the team can horde draft picks for 2026.

Mike McDaniel used to go days without showering. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Dolphins Doing Paradoxical Thing

So, McDaniel, five games under .500 with the roster that opened the season, is supposed to improve while the interim GM and owner are working diligently on trading away talent.

Really?

What does this mean beyond the fact Ross is vying for worst NFL owner shame to go with his already sealed worst steward of a professional sports franchise in South Florida history infamy?

It means the Dolphins are working against each other.

The coach needs to win now to stay employed in Miami. The interim general manager is trying to make splash trades of his best players to impress the owner and possibly (unlikely but possibly) be considered a candidate for the job after the season. 

This is Ross's doing. And it's beyond illogical. It's paradoxical. 

Oct 22, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92), linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) and linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins Star Players Available

The Dolphins, per sources, would be willing to trade Waddle, pass rusher Bradley Chubb, pass rusher Jaelan Phillips or pass rusher Matthew Judon. The club would be willing to trade safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (again). 

Pass rushers are in demand around the NFL now as they seemingly always are. But while the Las Vegas Raiders have told Maxx Crosby he's not going to be traded and the Cincinnati Bengals have so far stiff-armed advances from other clubs about Trey Hendrickson, the Dolphins are openly dangling three pass rushers for the highest bidder to acquire.

And this: The Dolphins, with Ross's tacit approval, could bench Tua Tagovailoa if he continues to throw picks in bunches after mocking the idea earlier this year that he throws picks in bunches.

The NFL Network reported Sunday that Tagovailoa, with 11 interceptions in nine games, may be benched at some point this year in favor of Zach Wilson or Quinn Ewers if he doesn't shape up.

You have to love a Dolphins organization that leaks this to the NFL's media arm and gives McDaniel another mess to clean up while also asking McDaniel to improve the rest of the season to keep his job long term.

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross watch the first day of Dolphins training camp in Davie, Florida on July 25, 2014. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)

Steve Ross History Of Failure

This is a sad, sorry picture, folks.

And it reflects directly on Ross. It reflects on the people he hired. And the people who were hired by the people he hired. They all put their fingers up in the air to figure out which way the wind is blowing that day and that's the direction they take to try and keep their jobs.

We've seen this before, and it all starts with Ross.

He has no foundational anchor as an NFL owner. He'll try anything. And his word is something he uses as a mere convenience that applies now but will surely change later. 

He infamously tried to hire Jim Harbaugh in 2011 and when he failed, he gave Tony Sparano a raise. Then he fired Sparano months later.

He kept an uninspiring Joe Philbin and even gave him an extension after the 2014 season. Then he fired Philbin after four games the next season.

Mike McDaniel shared advice he tells players in light of Harrison Butker's speech. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mike McDaniel Likely To Be Fired

He hired Dennis Hickey as general manager to run the front office in January 2014. Then he kneecapped Hickey by hiring Mike Tannenbaum as the executive vice president of football operations in 2015.

In 2019, he proudly told me "I've found my coach," in referring to Brian Flores. And then we learn from the Flores discrimination lawsuit that Ross was offering Flores an extra $100,000 per loss that season, so the club could have a better draft position in 2020. Ross fired Flores after the 2021 season.

Now, the sourced messaging you're getting from other media that Ross likes McDaniel and wants to see him succeed is worthless. Because Ross is actively trying to sell talent out from under McDaniel, and letting minions undermine the starting quarterback's already fragile confidence.

Ross will definitely fire McDaniel after this season if the Dolphins don't win at season's end or the new fair-haired GM hired in January wants his own coach. That is the unfiltered truth.

Stephen M. Ross, founder and chairman of Related Ross, speaks during an announcement that Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence company ServiceNow will lease a significant portion of the new CityPlace office tower at an event at One Flagler office tower in West Palm Beach, Fla., on September 16, 2025.

Ross Taking Same Failed Road

Ross once said "doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity, right?"

But now he is doing stuff he's done and failed at before. 

He's hoping for a mini-tank the rest of this year by selling off assets and hoping for a higher draft spot in 2026. He did that in 2019.

He's having his people tell reporters he loves McDaniel and hopes he can succeed. But he's approving moves that would sink McDaniel – same as he did with Hickey and Sparano and Flores and others.

The Dolphins are a reflection of Stephen Ross. And that's their problem.