Revealed: The final straw that will see Mike McDaniel fired as Miami Dolphins head coach

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross does not want to fire head coach Mike McDaniel, even after the team's 0-3 start after a loss to division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, on Thursday night. 

Yet, the final straw for McDaniel hitting the open market has been revealed, with players stopping to show up for him, or fans not packing Hard Rock Stadium a bridge too far for the 85-year-old. 

McDaniel no doubt is on the hottest head-coaching seat in the NFL, with his team viewed as having the most underperforming roster in football, with talented pieces such as Tyreek Hill and little to show for it. 

Even if Dolphins' fans want McDaniel to be let go, nothing is appearing imminent, per Ian Rapoport. 

'Stephen Ross, the Dolphins owner, does not want to fire Mike McDaniel, he doesn't. He wants this to work, likes him. He believes in him. He has invested him,' Rapoport said. 

Rapoport's commentary did come before the Dolphins' Week 3 loss, with a 10-point defeat to one of the best teams in football on the road likely not moving McDaniel's status at all.  

The Dolphins' roster is also not ready to waive the white flag on this season or McDaniel.

'At the end of the day, it’s not him out there on the field,' linebacker Chop Robinson said, per the Miami Herald. 'It’s us out there playing the game, making the mistakes on the field and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, it may look bad for him, but it’s really on us. We’ve got to get it better.'

'He believes in his players,' offensive tackle Patrick Paul added. 

'He inspires us,' linebacker Tyrel Dodson stated.  

The Dolphins began the season with a surprising 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, followed by a close loss to the New England Patriots. 

Miami's schedule, on paper, does lighten up a bit after facing Buffalo, with games against the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets on tap. 

Answering questions about job security is never the sign of a winning team. It's a far cry from where the Dolphins were less than two years ago, in a playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

'I think if I worry about my job security, I won’t be doing my job,' McDaniel said this week. 'I won’t spend one moment thinking about all the things that people - whatever people want me to think about. I’m thinking about this team and the Buffalo Bills here after I get done with this podium.'