Mike McDaniel Has No Time For The Bad Tua Takes
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mike McDaniel is fascinating. The NFL coaching wunderkind has become almost as famous for his unique and carefree attitude as he is for his elite ability to scheme his players open. His NFL mic’d up videos have become must watch content.
wake up, new Mike McDaniel mic'd up just dropped.
(via @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/TPWUmr78Le
— NFL (@NFL) October 17, 2023
But lost in the creative responses and funny referee banter is McDaniel’s hardcore and steadfast football nature. He was raised around the sport and has a true reverence for the game and its players. When given the opportunity to set an NFL record against Denver, a team he not only grew up rooting for but one that wasn’t even interested in interviewing him for a coaching job, he took a knee. It was an old school move for the NFL’s most new school leader.
So when McDaniel was asked on Thursday if many quarterbacks could do what Tua Tagovailoa is doing in the Dolphins’ offense, it was no surprise that he lost it a bit.
“I’m about to push this podium over.” Mcdaniel said. “My answer to that would be who the F cares? Because it is a team, we’re working together, and I know one thing: I’ve coached a long time, I haven’t seen people do what our guys do. As a teammate we’re all dependent on each other and I’m not in any hurry to prove myself without those guys because they’re part of who we are. To try to say it’s this person or that person is missing the point. It’s a team working together, people working together. Myself, Tyreek Hill, Tua, cool. What if no one’s blocking? You know what I mean? We’re all connected in that way.”
Despite his steadfast defense of team culture, McDaniel still buttoned his point by emphasizing how his players’ skill is pushing this year’s team forward. “Our players run a lot of plays that I have a lot of history with, and it looks different,” He said. “That’s because of hard work and unbelievable ability. So don’t try me on other players.
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