All three coaches told McDaniel they thought he was drinking too much. He had already lost his job on the Houston Texans staff in part due to his alcohol use, and sometimes smelled alcohol on his breath when he was with the Falcons, among other incidents.
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It was that conversation with Quinn, who was the Falcons’ head coach at the time, and the others that pushed McDaniel to quit drinking for good. Shortly thereafter he entered a three-week treatment program and then rejoined Quinn’s staff. That was in 2016 and he’s been sober ever since.
Now, McDaniel is preparing to face his former boss when the Miami Dolphins take on the Washington Commanders in Madrid on Sunday, marking their first game against each other as head coaches in the league.
(You can stream the Dolphins-Commanders Madrid game and all games in prime time and out of market on NFL+.)
“Dan Quinn holds a special place in my heart and my career,” McDaniel said Wednesday via ESPN. “I think he was there at ground zero when I got sober and supported me and gave me the opportunity to continue doing what I love to do. So for that, I will always be indebted to him.
“I think it speaks to the type of leader he is; I know he really touches every player he coaches from a true and authentic standpoint. I think the Commanders are very lucky to have him.”
McDaniel is now in his fourth season leading the Dolphins, although the team is just off to a 3-7 start. The franchise fired general manager Chris Grier this season and there has been a lot of speculation about McDaniel’s future with the organization. However, the team just came off a huge 30-13 win over the Buffalo Bills last week and has won two of its last three.
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The Commanders also enter Sunday’s game in Spain, which is the first NFL game to be held in the country, with a 3-7 record. They have lost five straight and are playing without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels after he suffered a serious elbow injury earlier this month.
Quinn is in his second season leading the Commanders this fall and had high praise for McDaniel ahead of their contest this weekend.
“For all of us, when there’s a problem, sometimes you don’t want someone you’re with to know,” Quinn said. “You count on them, they count on you. But supporting yourself is the greatest strength you can do. In that space, all you want to do is help and support, and then the real work begins for the person in that place.
“That’s exactly what Mike did. He said this is what I’m working on and how I’m going to do it, and that’s when the real work begins. Part of the reason I’m so proud of him is that this is something that’s happening and this is how I’m going to deal with it, and I’m going to stay connected to it… It takes a lot of courage to do that, and that’s one of the reasons I’m really proud of him.”