McDaniel patient on Armstead decision; coach repeats that Fangio exit not forced
INDIANAPOLIS
Asked Tuesday whether Terron Armstead has communicated his desire to hold off on retirement and play the 2024 season, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel suggested the Pro Bowl left tackle is still considering his decision.
“I have let time allow for what is an important decision for him,” McDaniel said at the NFL scouting combine, “and let time from the season evolve so that he can give us a window into what he’s thinking.
“There’s a roller coaster of emotions when you’re talking about potentially leaving a game that you’re elite at and the pros and cons of that.”
He added: “He’s been an unbelievable leader and he’s really battled through a ton of different things for us. And right now, he’s determining something that him and his body are the only people that know. And we are very open for that.
“However, we also have to allow for that time and assess all options so that the Miami Dolphins have plans regardless of any sort of scenario, which is what we get paid to do.”
On locker cleanout day in January, Armstead hinted that he could be considering retirement after another injury-hampered season.
And at the Pro Bowl this month, he said retirement is still a possibility but he won’t “prolong the process at all. I’m just taking time to get away from the game and let my body heal — and then.”
The Miami Herald previously reported that the expectation is that Armstead will return to play his 12th season.
Armstead, who turns 33 in July, just completed the second year of a five-year, $75 million contract he signed in the 2022 offseason. Some $5 million of Armstead’s $13.25 million 2024 base salary is already guaranteed and $8.25 million becomes guaranteed March 16.
Armstead missed seven games because of injury in 2023 and has missed 11 games since joining Miami in 2022. He has never played the entirety of a season, which he said is a goal for him.
“I love the game. I love the game,” Armstead said on locker cleanout day. “As an artist once said, the moment you stop having fun with it, I’ll be done with it. I’m having a blast. I love what we’re building. I’m chasing a ring. That’s the only reason I’m playing football.”
MCDANIEL ON FANGIO
McDaniel on Tuesday also spoke for the first time about parting ways with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
While McDaniel didn’t explain much about his thought process behind the decision, he reiterated that it was mutual.
“I’d be lying if I said I was expecting that during the season at all,” McDaniel said. “And I think Vic would feel similarly.
“What happened was basically, I think it’s important when the season ends for you to remove emotion and evaluate and have very, very good conversation with all people that you’re depending on.
“With Vic and I, we had extensive conversations that were very healthy. And ultimately, when push came to shove, it seems like we both had the opportunity [and agreed] it’d be best for both parties involved to literally mutually part.”
He added: “So it wasn’t anticipated. It was something that I think was a factor of great communication between him and I where we feel like we’re all best served if we go a different direction . ... ”
Despite the Dolphins finishing in the top 10 in yards allowed for the first time since 2010, Miami and Fangio split after one season. League sources told the Miami Herald that there was player frustration regarding scheme and personnel decisions. Fangio has since been hired as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and the Dolphins replacd him with former Baltimore Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who coached with Weaver the previous three seasons, called him an “absolute star.”
“He lights up a room,” Harbaugh said. “He fills up a room and lights up a room. And then the way he treats people, the way he responds to problems and problem-solving type of things, the way he coaches the guys, the way he presents, his understanding of defense generally is really good, high, high level.
“But also his leadership ability, the way he manages players and coaches and works with people. I just think he’s a great leader and he’ll do a great job.”
DEFENDING CROSSMAN
While the Dolphins’ special teams have ranked among the league’s worst in recent years, McDaniel continued to show support for the man in charge of the group’s performance, special teams coordinator Danny Crossman.
Miami ranked 22nd and 28th the last two seasons in special teams DVOA, an all-encompassing metric, but McDaniel retained Crossman. On Tuesday, McDaniel explained why.
“I think coach Crossman would agree with the statement that the results aren’t where we want them to be,” McDaniel said.
“However, so much of my job’s determining the compounding variables and the why’s to things. The bottom line is picturing us moving forward, how to get to that phase of the football team to find the improvement necessary for us to take steps in our game as a team.
“[I] determined that he was the appropriate guy to lead us to fix the things that haven’t been up to the standard.”
Crossman joined the Dolphins in his current role in 2019 under coach Brian Flores. Crossman was assistant head coach in 2021.
McDaniel praised Crossman’s communications skills.
“You have a window into the true depth of someone’s coaching ability when you’re working alongside him every single day,” McDaniel said.
“And part of the process of factoring those things is ultimately how is a coach able to communicate to a player to get him better.
“And although the results haven’t been there, what I’ve seen is players responding in the appropriate way to things that Danny has to offer.”
CANCER FUNDRAISER
The 14th annual Dolphins Challenge Cancer cycling event raised a record-breaking $12 million for cancer research, the team announced.
The event Saturday drew 6,702 participants who helped raise money for cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Since the DCC’s inception in 2010, the event has raised $75 million for cancer research.
Participants at this year’s DCC event included 460 cancer survivors, Dolphins president and CEO Tom Garfinkel said.