The Sundown of the "McGenius" Era: Miami’s Quest for a New Identity
The Sundown of the "McGenius" Era: Miami’s Quest for a New Identity As the sun dipped below the Atlantic horizon on Thursday, January 8, 2026, the atmosphere in Miami Gardens felt heavy with the scent of an ending. For four years, the Miami Dolphins were defined by the quirky, high-octane, and often enigmatic presence of Mike McDaniel. But the "McGenius" era—once billed as a digital-age revolution—reached its quiet conclusion in the wood-paneled offices of Hard Rock Stadium. Team owner Stephen Ross, a man whose patience has often been tested but rarely exhausted, officially relieved McDaniel of his duties following a 7-10 campaign. The move, characterized by the organization as a pivot toward "comprehensive change," marks the second consecutive season without a playoff appearance for a franchise that has spent much of the last quarter-century chasing the ghosts of its perfect 1972 past. The Rise and the Plateau When Mike McDaniel arrived in 2022, he was a...
