Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel signs contract extension through 2028 season, per report

The Miami Dolphins will be keeping their head coach around for a while longer. The team signed Mike McDaniel to a contract extension that will keep him in Miami through the 2028 season, according to ESPN .

Terms of McDaniel's contract have yet to be disclosed.

Hired in 2022 after spending five years on the San Francisco 49ers ' coaching staff, the first-time head coach has gone 20-14 in his two seasons in Miami, making the playoffs twice, but losing in the opening round each time. It marked the first time the Dolphins made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2000 and 2001.

If McDaniel lasts just two more seasons with the Dolphins, he will be the first coach to finish four full seasons with the team since Dave Wannstedt (2000-2003), who resigned as head coach after a 1-8 start in 2004.

The Dolphins have ranked sixth (2022) and first (2023) in total yards and 11th (2022) and second (2023) in total points since McDaniel arrived as he has created the league's most explosive and innovative offense, with teams all around the league cribbing from his creative designs. Built around the incredible threats posed by Tyreek Hill , Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane , and with Tua Tagovailoa at the controls, Miami's offense often turns games into something resembling track meets, with big plays materializing one after the other.

The team has had issues staying healthy, though, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. Those injuries have crimped the Dolphins' ability to run the ball in short-yardage situations and turned the offense one-dimensional late in seasons. They produced just seven points in their wild-card round loss to the eventual-champion Chiefs last season, for example, with Tagovailoa going just 20 of 39 for 199 yards and Mostert and Achane combining for only 42 rushing yards on 14 carries.

Miami has clearly taken a step forward under McDaniel and values both his innovation and his style of leadership, which was enough to earn him this extension. With Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle also signed to long-term deals, keeping the architect of the offense in town is something that makes sense. They'll need to produce playoff results eventually, but staying on this track and finally having some stability in the organization is highly desirable.