Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel

23:55Rich Eisen:And I'm wondering, were you aware that Tua was going to go to the podium about that sort of thing? Clearly you got your finger on the pulse, but I'm just wondering if you knew this was going to be so open for two hours. Yeah, no, I think that's a, you know, if you're trying to be great at anything, if you're trying to be better at things, if you're trying to evolve, if you're trying to be, if you want your team to be better, you want to be a better leader. I think that was something that, you know, at that point, the, you know, to the credit of the conversation that the two men were working on a relationship.

24:36I think, you know, both parties were just kind of tired of, you know, and just over the semantics of it. Like, hey, these are people that are working on the relationship. I think the power in that is, you know, both of the players have, like most relationships, you learn and you grow. And when you invest, you go through whatever, but the relationship becomes more real. So I thought it was a maturation or a graduation of Tua as the leader of the team. And also, I think it speaks to how healthy they are because, you know, there have been that many opportunities for the public to see them interact.

25:23But as time passes, you'll see a more connected, you know, relationship. And really, they're not hiding from anything. I think there's something empowering from their standpoint when they are on the platform that they are on.

25:42Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, obviously, you know, you're as astute as they come. You know, the us who talk about it think that that's got to be a negative as opposed to, hey, it's two guys getting something out or a team getting something out together. And you can actually grow into a collective that's more healthy and open. And that's part of your gig, too, is to shirper that thing through, you know. Well, more often than not, you're probably right that that's, you know, kind of erroneous for this particular situation. And I think that, again, I think that's you're seeing people evolve in different circumstances.

26:17People go through stuff and you have a choice to mature and grow or be the same. And I think those two seem to be up for the challenge. I see better than I hear, and I see a better relationship based on the facts of the moments that I see them spend, the investment, the plans that they make, and how many times they've hung out with each other this offseason. And they've been over to each other's houses and invested the time. You get out what you put in. So they're putting in the work that's real and transparent.

26:54Rich Eisen:So obviously, though, it will come time to play football. And would you consider this matter put to bed then, Mike McDaniel? I think the matter is one of two things. It's a tipping point for evolution. So I think it matters in that, you know, the way that they're approaching it as a source of a creation of a very strong relationship that needed to be mended. And, you know, I think so to that point, if you there's a lot of scenarios where you could choose for it to reveal itself again. But that's not healthy, direct communication. That's straightforward to the point of mass media. So I think it serves as a point that if you put in the work and there's the right intentions, that they'll be proud of.

27:59Rich Eisen:How's Darren Waller looking? He's looking fantastic. I can't wait until he looks even more fantastic on the field. We're progressing. Just a little tricky right now. He's kind of within this week, if all things are normal, um you know we'd probably see him uh kind of tricky to pull a guy out of retirement and start practicing in a joint practice right and that's kind of uh after this joint practice we have two joints um against detroit so um we're trying to figure out that timeline it's it's sooner than later but he's doing very well well you take me and just do me a favor here your meetings with what do you talk about like what are you what are you what do you what's the granular what's the the macro it's just in general when you're sitting there with your quarterback mike mcdaniel and well it's that's an evolving process uh based upon where we're at um right now uh you know um our conversations uh center a lot around you know for him i don't think his practice starts until there's a play that he's mad at himself for huh is that right when when he's when he's when he's pissing himself, then practice starts because that's, you know, as, as the competitor he is where he's at in his game within the offense.

29:24And as a leader the moments we're training are not moments of high fives and we're on a heater. It's, it's how do you, you know, develop your, your game to have the mental fortitude to um be able to stay on the field compete when necessary protect yourself out of harm's way all those things are a mental strength that you know we try to work through um you know other types of noise and practice that you know he's he's working on managing how he plays the game and and making sure that it's very good and very available how

30:05Rich Eisen:How do you coach that, though, man? Like, how can you possibly coach something as esoteric of knowing when to give up when you also want to stoke a competitive spirit that's obviously as A-plus as they come? How do you go about that? Well, I think you, you know, my starting point was without hesitation, truly trying to paint a picture of the ramifications of the, you know, as it was, scramble first down versus the consequence after. The true gravity and how it affects the team and all the cause and results, I think that's the starting point. Then the different tools your coaching are based off of, all right, where has he failed in previous circumstances?

31:00Well, he's failed when he doesn't like how he's playing, and he's going to get a first down so we can stay on the field and he's not facing failure again. To me, that training, how do you train that? Well, I'm training when he's pissed. That's why that's our conversation, because that's a mental ability where you have to go to a place beyond competition and really and be able to think clearly so every time he gets competitive we're working on him thinking clearly not easy by any stretch but nothing that we've signed up for is remotely easy

31:51Rich Eisen:A few minutes left with head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins How's my gut? Please do I can't have you cramping in the middle of this interview I can't have it It's my voice. By the way, do I have like a therapy voice? Did I really do that? Yes, you do. It's like a comforting, like, this is a safe place where we're going. So just let go. Yeah, okay. I feel like, you know, I'm listening. It's a talent. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. How's my guy Kenneth Grant doing? How's he doing? Oh, he's doing. What a beast. What a beast. He is, and he's getting challenged from his veteran teammates in ways rookies traditionally don't because they see his ability to help us early in ways that rookies traditionally don't.

32:49So that kind of microscope is not easy for everyone. That kind of that high demand of, you know, I don't see them doing anything, giving any outs to to a rookie mistake. And he's embracing that for the respect and regard that that truly is. So he's making plays at the beginning of practice. He's making plays at the end of practice. And realistically, he's intentionally approaching every day, which with him, he's a he's a high effort player that has athleticism. So if he does that, we'll be we just fine.

33:34Rich Eisen:Well, obviously, again, as if I me calling him my guy and me being a missing guy is not enough of a tell that I'm biased. he's not 13th overall in the draft talent he's top five I mean that guy is as good as they come and he dropped to you in a way that I think you're you're going to be you're already seeing what he can do champion as well and so you're saying the OG's are giving him is that Phillips the Chubb these the guys it's the guys you depend on to keep it real like part of the part of the hardest thing for young players is when, when their talent's recognized you know, maybe they skip a step of how you prepare appropriately to have sustained success and, and really development you know, like a Zach Seeler and who's who every year gets better you know, Bradley Chubb, Jalen Phillips, Jordan Brooks, Benito Jones.

34:43The veterans that are in his corner, the list is long. But the biggest key is that he's been a football guy first and foremost, and I can tell he understands what's going to be asked of him and how his teammates are going to have to rely upon him. So that's the biggest thing is there's a concerted effort to bridge the gap of being a rookie and having some veteran player production.

35:11Rich Eisen:Yeah, I mean, Seeler getting paid and obviously, you know, anything you could tell me about, you got Chop Robinson there as well. I mean, healthy, you've got yourself a heck of a front seven for sure. And then in a couple minutes I have left with you, I want to hit the back end before I send you on your Illinois way right there. But what do you got for me on Phillips, Chubb? What do you think? Week one, we're ready? They're ready? Yeah, I mean, there's football's football, but as it stands now, we are going to be healthy week one until football says otherwise. So we feel that we have a strength in our pass rush, and a lot of things we'd like to do is feature something we think we have been a ton of guys that are very, very good players in this league.

36:03And the combination of that, the group, you know, they kind of all walk to the same beat of, you know, the true, you know, lunch pail type workers that have a true effect on the young players, which is gigantic for our team and every team in the league with how much roster turnover there is every year so um i feel very good about um how they're uh really going for their very best selves and um i think we we can have some product productive football if we keep

36:40Rich Eisen:it up right and if we spoke a month ago uh first of all um you wouldn't be in illinois um and secondly i i would i would have sort of started this interview that it's a good dad and know about the whole great thing um you know but we we'd be talking about jalen ramsey and johnny smith Instead, we got Minka Fitzpatrick and Darren Waller. It's a very rare situation for a team to make a switch as late as the Dolphins did. How do you think this has made you better, Mike? Well, you know, I'm just looking at the team that we have and the pieces that did come to us have added value to the group that was working for the eight weeks in the offseason program together.

37:22So, you know, both guys are at the prime of their they want to make an impact on the game of football and have the at the prime of passion. And both of them can play close to the prime, too. So, you know, I think that they both come to the minds, come to the team with the mindset that they're going to add value with the expectation. like everyone else, that you're going to see the best version of them that you've ever seen. So you can't ask for more from veteran players when they're approaching their day-to-day tasks to get better and not stay the same.

38:06Rich Eisen:How's your Spanish? How's your Spanish? Very, very – I'm a good listener of Spanish. Okay. Okay. Don't expect me to say anything back. Okay. All right. So you can understand it. you can't really can you're not fluent you know you need to be hooked on that phonics in advance of your trip to stay later this year is what you're saying yes mike yes all right very good um but there's a lot of people in place to support me your four and a half year old daughter can she help can she help on that is is uh is she already is she i mean she's working diligently at some point um i hope she is able to communicate with me in several languages but today is not that day Yes, that's the teenage years coming, Mike.

38:53Rich Eisen:That'll be different language, but that's further down the road. Thanks for the time, man. I appreciate it. It's always good to catch up with you. Well, it was awesome for me. I hope it was the same for you. It always is. I don't know if you tell that to other people. Do you tell that to other people? Not like, you know, I'm fragile or anything like that, but do you say that at the end of other interviews? Absolutely not. I would never. You are special. you know what that's you being the coach that you are you make everyone around you feel special and you know you can scheme it up on top of it uh i'm just waiting to hear that in return okay all good so do you have a special capri pant set up for week one what do you got like what what do we got i always like i have no idea i don't think you don't got it just because people talk about what I'm wearing a lot doesn't mean I'm super calculated.

39:48I just, when I go to the store, I buy the stuff that I think is cool and then I wear it.

39:55Rich Eisen:And you got the Jordans? You got your Jordans all picked out? You got that all worked out for you? I have no idea what I'm going to wear. Some off-white Air Force ones, I think. If there's cool ones that are out there, I'll try to get them and then you'll be right. I don't know what the world has to offer me. Mike McDaniel, thank you. Enjoy Chicago. Get out of it what you want and look for more of my calls throughout the season. Really appreciate it. I'll stare at my phone. Ladies and gentlemen, Mike McDaniel.

40:28Rich Eisen:Mike McDaniel getting set to stare at his phone. That's our next drop. I've never been called out for going lower register before. Did I do that? Did I do that? You have a nice tone to your voice. It's Frazier Crane-ish. I'm listening. I don't know if that's the reaction you want from a head coach. That's true. Respect. Nice.

40:55Rich Eisen:He's going to stare at his phone. If he can get a pair, Chris. He's a head coach and a Dolphins. If I can get a pair. He can get whatever you want. He can. Make one call. You don't have to make a call. They just come to his house. Yeah. That was great chatting with him. I'll stare at my phone. Hey, man. And the offense can make the playoffs. You and I both know it. The back end of the defense is a little bit concerning right now. We'll see what happens. They're banged up coming into the season. But if they're healthy up front. Well, Mink is back. Dude, dude. Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb, Zach Seeler, Jalen Phillips, Kenneth Grant.

41:31Rich Eisen:That's pretty damn good. They can come hunt. and Grant is outstanding at stopping the run on the way to the quarterback. Outstanding. Like truly, him and Mason Graham sitting next to each other in Team 144 and last year Team 145, two of the best I've seen at stopping the run on the way to the quarterback. And if the Dolphins can do that and be effective and be healthy up front, they got a shot. Tyreek and Tua on the same page. Jadon Waddle, A-Chan, Waller. I mean, I didn't even ask about Westbrook and Kene, who is, as you know, somebody from the Titans last year who I really like. Now he's on this team.

42:17Modern-day Chris Carter.

42:19Rich Eisen:You know, all he does is catch touchdowns. Right, right, right, right. So, good catching up with the HC of the Miami Dolphins. Peter Schwartz has an update right here. Bruce Feldman on Arch Manning. And Arch's grandpa has chimed in on the chat.

43:01Rich Eisen:and supporting over 40 ,000 children. Learn more and donate at hyundaiusa.com backslash hope on wheels. Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated. But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much. Small businesses are no different. Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right. That's where Gusto comes in. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses.

43:37Rich Eisen:It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use. So you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Automatic payroll tax filing, simple direct deposits, health benefits, commuter benefits, workers' comp, 401k, you name it. Gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget. and it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters, onboarding docs, direct deposit, and more. Plus, you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No hidden fees, no surprises. Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

44:13Rich Eisen:That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich. You have been here before, and it's always a delight when you are here. My sound man, I sound engineer, my audio executives, he likes to be called, Mike Del Tufo. 54-year-old single man or divorced man from the state of New Jersey. Michael, unfortunately, I'm married. I'm unavailable. No. Congratulations. I'll find you somebody. No, here's the thing. What's the oldest Olaf man you've ever come across? Oh man, I've come across people in their 90s who are Olaf fans. Exactly. No, like have all the stuffed animals, have all the...

44:59Oh yeah, you'd be surprised. Olaf connects multi-generationally. I mean, there are people who are in their 80s and 90s who have Olaf paraphernalia, who let me know how important that character is to them. I think the reason that so many people connect to that little guy is there's a sense of childlike wonderment that I think a lot of us forget that we have even when we're older. And it reminds us of the purity of looking at the world if our glasses have full optimism that Olaf brings to the table.

45:41Rich Eisen:Mike, do you want to say something to him? It's a great character. No, no, no. I love the car. You've got, how many Olaf items do you have in your house? What's the grand total? I have the full-size one. Okay. Then every miniature. I have, like, the full-size one, and then I have multiple. I got a mug. What's the grand? What's the grand? I'm thinking one, two, three, four, five. Oh, I'm going to have to sign something for you. Yeah, no. Totally go. But I mean, and I have one in the cup holder in the rear of my one car. That's not weird at all. By the way, that's not a metaphor for anything. He sits in the back.

46:15Rich Eisen:He's my co-pilot. That feels like a Hodgkin situation. That one I don't know if I approve. He's my co-pilot. All right, I'm going to put you on the spot before I go. How would Olaf term the drafting of Tua Tungo-Vailoa to the Dolphins? Can you tell me what Tua thought about that draft or beating the Patriots and knocking them out of the bye week position? Do you got something for me on that front, Josh Gad? I love everybody you say. And I can tell you that it never gives me joy to see any team down on a duck, except if that team is the New England Patriots, who've had it coming for a long time.

46:56Rich Eisen:So bye-bye. Have fun in the gutter. Ladies and gentlemen, that was fantastic. Josh, you're the best, man. You're the best. Keep doing what you're doing. Let's stay in touch, okay? You're the best. And I'm teasing, Batch fans. I love you guys. I just don't like the fact that you win every freaking season. That's a diehard Dolphin fan right there. Josh Gad and many of his appearances on our program. You can find it on our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show. Bruce Feldman is going to be joining us shortly on the program in studio. And then, oh, it's the mentalist. Back here again.

47:37Rich Eisen:TJ Jefferson's favorite warlock will be here. It's like vampires. You don't invite them into your house, man. This is not like sinners. This is not like sinners. It's not like sinners at all. You're writing demons in, bro. It's the antithesis of sin. Look at that. Great face. That's a great one. That's a great face. That's when you had your phone hacked. I like that. That's a difficult one. What's your passcode now? Six numbers now. Six numbers. It was four before. It was 1-1-2-2 for those scoring at home. Really tough to crack. Really made it tough for us. 1-2-3-4 is happening. on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Granger with professional-grade products for every industry.

48:19Rich Eisen:Granger has you covered. Call, clickgranger.com, or just stop by. Admin. Was this a, in all seriousness, and this is not a shot, you know I respect the hell out of Colin Coward, was it a Colin-created thing with Arch Manning and Nick Saban, where he said on his show, right? Well, he had said that he had heard that from people that... That Nick is going to come out of... Nick is itching to come back into coaching, in a perfect spot would be with the Browns or whatever. I mean, Nick obviously was on Belichick's staff back in the day. I understand that, but I mean, Nick wants to get back into coaching, huh?

48:52Rich Eisen:Because I think it looks like he's winning every week. Sitting next to McAfee, looking like what Shane Gillis called him, Alabama Jones, right with his hat? One of my favorite lines of all of last year's college game day. Alabama Jones, maybe. I laughed out loud at that one. Hard, heartily. Okay. But listen, for Arch Manning to just go one year in Texas and be done, he's got to win it all, essentially. And also, or get to the mountaintop. Doesn't have to win that last game, but just show that he's mastered it. Yeah. Heisman finalist. Let's get to the final four, maybe the championship game. And you've said that the Saints, who topped your top five, You've got no shot list, right, to win the Super Bowl.

49:42Rich Eisen:That if the Saints are first overall on the clock and Kellen Moore's sitting there, and, you know, Arch, who made his bones in the New Orleans prep system, right, and could play for his grandfather's team, then that's it, right? Makes too much sense. Then it'll be one and done. I don't think, you know, there's much of a mystery, but every now and then we crop up and it crops up. Certainly when Jimmy Haslam is asked in a press conference and his answer is like, well, I know the Mannings. I think he's going to stay. And I was like, Hey Jimmy, your answer should have been, well, we're not going to have the first overall pick here.

50:22Rich Eisen:Next question. Cause if the kid comes out, he's going to be first overall, most likely. And we're not going to be in position for him. No matter how many draft choices we have in our arsenal. That said, Jimmy Haslam may have been onto something. Archie Manning has entered the chat, telling Texas Monthly in an interview, when asked about leaving at the end of the season and entering the 2026 National Football League draft, quote, Arch isn't going to do that. He'll be at Texas, end quote. It says Archie Manning. It says the man whose grandson was named after, right? The patriarch. The patriarch, the man who is the architect.

51:13Rich Eisen:Arch isn't going to do that. He'll be at Texas. Good thing it's his decision. I don't think he's implying that, Chris. I just think. I don't know. It sounded like it to me. Obviously, at the end of the day, there is one person whose thumb will be the most heavy on the scale, and it will be the thumb attached to the golden arm of Arch Manning. I understand. But this is an indication going into the season and could also be Archie saying, let's not ask this kid this question all season long. Exactly. Let him play. Let's not have this. The first question after Arch plants the flag. in the middle of Ohio Stadium on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

52:10Rich Eisen:Let's not have that the first question. Well, if he goes four touchdowns, 300 yards, and they beat Ohio State, guess what? The hype train's only going to get that much more fast. I understand what the hype train will be. And if that happens, I will not know if Arch has been asked that question in the post-game press conference because I will be blackout drunk. Good. Okay. Like I will be like Matthew McConaughey. We'll all hook him on that day. I'll be doing the whole chest thing. You know, I'll do that. Oh my gosh. Oh yes. I won't know. You'll have to let me know if that's the first one, because again, it's the last weekend before the season hits.

52:56Rich Eisen:Well, that'll be what? That'll be Jenny Taft on the sideline, right? I'll be at home. I'll just be doing nothing. You know, I'll be doing absolutely nothing. that Saturday, I will be blackout drunk happy. What's Gus's nickname going to be for Arch this year? I don't know. The wunderkind. The hot shot. Autobahn Arch. No, but Arch. Listen, you want to talk about four-dimensional Manning chess? Archie might be like, let's just remove this from the table, let the kid be the kid. Or, again, the idea is there's no reason to rush it. The NFL will always be there. He also is probably making an NIL mint and would do so again next year.

53:43Rich Eisen:And this makes no sense to rush it. Albert Breer just putting pieces of the puzzle together. And Bruce Feldman is going to join us in hour two to discuss this and other subject matters of college football, obviously. that the more successful players in their rookie and sophomore seasons in the NFL are ones who have a ton of starts collegiately under their belt. You know, there's no, listen, Brock Purdy may have been the last pick in the draft, but he had like 60 starts at Iowa State. Bo Nix may have been the last of six first round draft choices in that draft two years ago, but he had about 60 career starts as well.

54:27Rich Eisen:Jaden Daniels, tons of starts. CJ Stroud, he wasn't just one and done with the Buckeyes. I get it. When I talk about this, though, I'm talking about the diamond, platinum, perfect scenario. This is Heisman Trophy. This is National Championship. This is Saints having the number one pick. That he's done it all. There's no sense in staying. And the NFL is going to be like, hey, let's get the Saints back to prominence by having the grandson play for his pops. That's what I'm talking about. Just don't speak ill of Archie because, you know, he made me an unofficial manning about 22 years ago. And I still hold him to that.

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