MIAMI GARDENS — Hour after hour passed between Sunday night, after the Miami Dolphins’ season concluded in Foxborough, and Monday morning and afternoon with no word one way or the other.

Other coaches around the NFL, on the dreaded day in league circles known as Black Monday, were shown the door with their respective teams — the Atlanta Falcons’ Raheem Morris, Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Stefanski, Las Vegas Raiders’ Pete Carroll, Arizona Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon. That to add to the midseason firings of the Tennessee Titans’ Brian Callahan and New York Giants’ Brian Daboll.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was not among the names axed, but there also wasn’t affirmation in the form of a statement from owner Steve Ross, like he released about an hour after the 2024 finale, stating he was bringing McDaniel back for 2026.

What spoke more than any statement was that, by the time McDaniel’s scheduled 4 p.m. end-of-season news conference came about, he stood at the podium at team facilities and fielded questions.

“My understanding is that I’m the coach of the Miami Dolphins until I’m told otherwise,” McDaniel said Monday.

But as McDaniel is back again, following a year when Ross said last year’s status quo was unacceptable and the team finished a game worse (7-10), he understands the pressure is mounting.

“I see a defining point in my tenure with the Miami Dolphins in front of me,” McDaniel said. “I was hired here to return a storied franchise to winning playoff games and Super Bowls, and I haven’t done that.”

He would usually be flanked by former general manager Chris Grier for this presser, but Grier was fired Oct. 31. As McDaniel stayed out of the news throughout the day, it also became clear more of the focus internally was on gathering candidates for the GM search, as the first series of names was revealed Monday.

And now it’s revealed that McDaniel will also be involved in the GM interview process, he said Monday. That would put him in the mix with Ross, Tom Garfinkel, Brandon Shore, Daniel Sillman and Troy Aikman.

He’s familiar with Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly from working with him over the past year and the second half of the year in his current role.

“I think the job that Champ did was phenomenal,” McDaniel said. “His communication with me was phenomenal. I’ll absolutely stand on that experience. How that measures up to the other candidates — this isn’t my decision, and I’m there to aid, and we’re trying, as a group, to get to the best solution possible.”

McDaniel has also worked with three San Francisco 49ers executives who are among early outside candidates: director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad and assistant GM RJ Gillen.

“I think it’s fortunate to know some guys,” McDaniel said, “but ultimately, I could care less if I’ve ever worked in the same building with the best candidate and the one that should be the next general manager for Dolphins.”

The season appeared for McDaniel to be going the same way as Grier during the first half of it.

The team was 1-6 and then 2-7 at the end of October, but it was Grier to go on Halloween, following a 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, while McDaniel remained.

Miami then reeled off four victories as part of a 6-3 run entering Sunday’s finale.

McDaniel showed an ability to rally his team through difficult times, and once the Dolphins were eliminated with the Dec. 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he switched quarterbacks — from Tua Tagovailoa to rookie Quinn Ewers — and showed he can get another passer to run the offense.

McDaniel touched on Tagovailoa’s future Monday, noting he needs to meet with him Tuesday before assessing. Tagovailoa, on Monday, shared a willingness to find a fresh start elsewhere.

McDaniel said he wants to remove emotions from the season and have a healthy conversation with his one-time franchise quarterback, whom the organization extended ahead of the 2024 season. The Dolphins coach said the new GM will ultimately play a role in a decision on Tagovailoa.

A release of Tagovailoa could cost the franchise a $99 million dead cap hit in 2026, if taken all in one fell swoop.

McDaniel said there will be competition for starting quarterback next season, and if the Dolphins cut Tagovailoa, it could easily lean the franchise into a rebuild.

“I don’t see complete rebuild,” McDaniel countered to that thought. “What I see is a team that needs to make smart decisions.”

Those roster decisions, ultimately, would largely fall onto the next GM.