Latest rumor rebuffs 49ers’ chances to reunite Mike McDaniel with Kyle Shanahan

No ‘getting the band back together’ for now, at least.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan (R) and Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (L) | Michael Zagaris/GettyImages

The Miami Dolphins are punting on the season and seem to be trending toward large-scale changes after a frustrating 2-7 start to the season.

This, in the wake of news Miami and general manager Chris Grier are “mutually” parting ways, according to multiple reports on Oct. 31.

The term “mutual” is certainly familiar to San Francisco 49ers, of course, but that’s a story for another time.

Grier, who had been with the Dolphins in one capacity or another since 2000, signifies owner Stephen M. Ross’ desire to overhaul his franchise over the next few years, and the logical conclusion might seem to also dismiss embattled head coach Mike McDaniel as well.

Except, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McDaniel isn’t just safe for the rest of the season, but the former Niners offensive coordinator might be safe beyond that, too:https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984282120014168255&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fninernoise.com%2Flatest-rumor-rebuffs-49ers-chances-reunite-mike-mcdaniel-kyle-shanahan&sessionId=015aed9af452a8285cf34a37e17c64015288b8e4&siteScreenName=SFNinerNoise&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Watching McDaniel’s tenuous hold on his job this season has been, well… provocative. And it certainly isn’t the first time San Francisco fans have noticed or thought about the 49ers’ former coordinator’s immediate and long-term futures.

And yet the Dolphins seem committed to him.

That rumor and speculation, of course, means the Niners will likely be denied an opportunity.

Don’t expect 49ers to ‘get the band back together’ anytime soon after latest Mike McDaniel rumor

As soon as San Francisco rehired another former coordinator in Robert Saleh after the New York Jets terminated him from his head-coaching job there last season, the thought of the 49ers rebuilding head coach Kyle Shanahan’s one-time staff of Saleh and McDaniel rearose as soon as the latter’s tenure seemed in jeopardy.

Of course, that would require Miami to book McDaniel, as well as McDaniel and the Niners having some sort of mutual interest.

But, as Saleh is doing now, rebuilding a tarnished career as a coordinator once more might ultimately be what the Dolphins’ embattled head coach is inevitably facing.

However, according to Schefter’s report, it doesn’t appear as if McDaniel is going to be dismissed from duties anytime soon, and it even seems as if Ross wants to keep his head coach in place for the foreseeable future, potentially even into 2026.

So much for San Francisco’s prospects of getting the old coaching trio of McDaniel, Saleh and Shanahan back together again.

At least for now.