Report: Mike McDaniel won’t serve as Miami Dolphins head coach during 2nd half of preseason finale

The Miami Dolphins are making sure that they have every scenario covered before the 2024 regular season begins, which will be evident during their preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night.

Miami reportedly will have assistant head coach/tight ends coach Jon Embree handle the head-coaching duties in the second half of Friday’s game. The Dolphins apparently want to be prepared in case head coach Mike McDaniel ever has to miss a game.

Still, Miami’s head coach will call plays for the offense in the second half against Tampa Bay.

“Dolphins Assistant HC/TE Coach Jon Embree will handle head coaching duties in the second half of tonight’s preseason game vs. the Bucs,” Mike Cugno of CBS Miami reported on X. “The Dolphins are using this as a practice run should Mike McDaniel ever have to miss a game (i.e. Covid).

“McDaniel will still call plays for the offense.”

This could be a smart move by the Dolphins to make sure that Embree can get some time in as the team’s head coach – even if a scenario doesn’t arise this season where he needs to be.

The Dolphins are entering their third regular season under McDaniel, who has led the franchise to back-to-back postseason appearances.

While Miami has not won a postseason game yet in the McDaniel era, it also has faced some tough circumstances in its two playoff matchups.

During the 2022 season, Miami was forced to use Skylar Thompson (a rookie seventh-round pick at the time) in the playoffs at quarterback since Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater were banged up.

Then, in the 2023 season, the Dolphins played in frigid temperatures in the first round against the Kansas City Chiefs, losing 26-7. Kansas City went on to win a second consecutive Super Bowl last season.

In the regular season, the Dolphins are 20-14 under McDaniel, winning 11 games last season and nearly taking the AFC East crown in the process. A loss to Buffalo to close the regular season cost the Dolphins the division title.

Embree joined the Dolphins in 2022, and the 2024 season will be his 16th year coaching in the NFL. He’s coached with the Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders and was also a sixth-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft.

The veteran coach clearly has a ton of experience in professional football, and he should get a chance to show his head-coaching abilities in the second half of Friday’s game.

The Dolphins won’t return to action after Friday’s game until Sept. 8 in Week 1 of the regular season.