Read the full transcript from Head Coach Mike McDaniel's press conference on January 2, 2026.
Q: Offensive playmaker availability – RB De'Von Achane, WR Jaylen Waddle, TE Darren Waller – how it's looking for those three for Sunday?
"(Jaylen) Waddle will be limited today so he will be questionable for the game. Later today we will put (Darren) Waller on IR. 'Von' (De'Von Achane) won't practice today and typically guys that don't practice on Friday don't end up playing; however, special circumstances so I'm not going to rule him out and he's motivated to try to play, so I'm going to take the time with him as well."
Q: How about on defense with LB Chop Robinson and S Minkah Fitzpatrick?
"Chop (Robinson) is still in protocol but he will practice today. Going through that process, I'm optimistic, but we'll see. Minkah (Fitzpatrick), it looks like he will be out."
Q: OL Aaron Brewer and LB Jordyn Brooks, please.
"'JB' (Jordyn Brooks) is a warrior. He's giving it a go, doing what he can today, and he has the full intention of playing. The only way he wouldn't is if his body wouldn't let him. And then I feel pretty good about (Aaron) Brewer playing this week."
Q: Kicker?
"It looks like unless there's something that changes in the next moments, I think I'm going to go with Riley (Patterson) again, just prioritizing not only ability but the longevity of the game and being able to kick for four quarters because your recourse is – if I bring him (Jason Sanders) back too fast, I'm worried about the recourse. Looks like we're probably going to go that direction."
Q: How impressive is it that K Riley Patterson is on pace to set a franchise record and he was out of work?
"It's one of the cooler stories, one of my favorites of just taking advantage of opportunities. That's kind of what I've been talking about that I truly mean and how I talk to the team about every game that we have. You have an opportunity in the National Football League that what you do with it defines the course or trajectory of things. You're talking about a guy that was channel surfing when we started, gets an opportunity and really takes full advantage of it. It's pretty incredible to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to an extreme – the statistical of what you just referred to is real. I think in the process, what I told him earlier in the season when he'd already been dependable for us, is like, congratulations, what you've done is you have an NFL career off of something like that, where it doesn't matter – you take the things outside of his control and he can play NFL football because he's executed in the moments of truth. I feel very fortunate that we have him as part of the team and he's done a great job with the opportunity given."
Q: Regarding the running back position if RB De'Von Achane can't go, the last two years he's had to exit two games and in those games RB Jaylen Wright had 86 yards against the Patriots last year and 107 against the Jets this year. Why do you think Jaylen Wright excels when Achane is not available?
"I think 'Von' (De'Von Achane) does a great job of timing up whenever he gets dinged is whenever Jaylen Wright's game is right. Honestly I think it's just being prepared for your opportunity. I've made my opinions clear on Jaylen Wright since we drafted him and right now, it just so happens that I think he's at the top of his game since I've been around him. He's playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of conviction. He's thinking less, reacting more. I think it speaks to this commonality in the National Football League that if your eyes are down, you have earmuffs on, you don't pay attention to this continued pattern – you have to be ready for your opportunity and not worry about when your opportunity is coming. If you focus on your game and being prepared and being capable – which it's easier when you're behind a Pro Bowl running back, I think they appreciate each other's game and he understands why De'Von gets all the touches he gets. But in the process, building his game up from the preseason all the way through the year, I wasn't surprised when he had a 100-yard game a couple weeks ago and he's ready against an opponent that it's different players and a little different scheme but he had a good outing last time he was in Gillette. I feel very fortunate and our team is fortunate to have multiple ball carriers that we trust. Yeah, you don't replace directly if 'Von' can't go, but instead you utilize all of your players including your entire running back room and give them opportunities that they probably otherwise wouldn't have. I can't say enough good things about Jaylen Wright because he's always been talented, he's always been a hard worker; but this was a different mental test with high ambitions going into the season and then being inactive and he's come out of it being the best version of himself which I think is something that I'm hoping all the young players pay attention to because it's real."
Q: We know what RB De'Von Achane has done on the field, but I'm curious like his growth as a leader and kind of the status of the nucleus of your offense. Has that given you some confidence with some of the personnel decisions you've made this year, his personal growth?
"I think you get out what you put in, and he's found not only ways to work on his game but he's really invested in relationships. The relationship he has with our offensive line, he is tight with them. Before meetings, on the road, we'll get to Boston like 5 o'clock or something and he'll get to the hotel and spend an hour or two playing cards with those guys. If you want to be a really good player and you want to be on a really good team, you have to be a really good teammate. I think he's taken tremendous strides considering when he first got here you didn't know what his personality was. He was quiet, and once he built relationships with guys, you just continued to see him blossom into the overall value adder that he is, just by not only game but personality. He loves to give guys a hard time in a competitive way. He's the first guy that I lean to if somebody drops a football. He's the first one to vocalize, 'hey, you should catch that' in a funny way that that competitive spirit that he provides is infectious. It's not exclusive to his getting reps at outside zone tracks and being better at that; his growth in his game and as a teammate as well which is why he continues to grow in results."
Q: Patriots went on a bit of a run after your guys' matchup and look to be one of the top dogs in the AFC going forward. Don't want you to look too far in the future because I know you're focused on just this game, but with how close you guys were to victory, how motivated is this team to sort of set the tone going forward?
"I think you respect and regard a team's ability to win 13 games in the National Football League, and within our division we have the opportunity to go win a game and not be swept within the division. That is easier said than done. I think it's a great test to go on the road and try to accomplish that because they're very prideful and they want to play at home as much as possible which is what they can control with beating us. As far as it relates to moving forward, this team just needs to finish the season defining itself by the response mechanisms and the resiliency that you can by going and trying to earn a victory as opposed to just putting forth anything short of their best, most convicted effort. I think if the season is ending before you want it to, you better make sure that your last outing is what you're capable of. I think that's the most important thing is to go against a 13-win team and not back down, step right at them and try to go win a football game. They have a lot of vested interest to not allow that to be the case, so I'm looking forward to a competitive environment as it should be in January AFC East football."
Q: There's a report that Troy Aikman is going to be helping the organization find the next GM. I'm wondering if you have a relationship with Troy and do you think that works in your favor toward returning in any way?
"I can answer your first question with, yeah, I was in conversations that I won't share beyond with ownership. I was aware and I'm not opposed to more information ever. I think prioritizing the importance of a decision, you educate yourself and I think Troy Aikman speaks for himself in terms of his relationships that he's had within the National Football League and knows a lot of things. Information is a positive to me and being able to resource that, I think we're fortunate. I'm excited for that. As far as everything else, again, I'm not going to spend one second of this job prioritizing what my job is under some other 'does this work for me.' My priority is I'm the head coach and I'm going to take those responsibilities as they relate to everybody involved in the organization. I'm going take to those serious and focus on that. I'm not joking, lying, misleading. I don't think about all those questions ever. It's a waste of my time and I don't try to waste my time or other people's."
Q: Did you evaluate QB Cam Miller at all before the draft and what did you like about him?
"Absolutely. We were pretty fired up when he saw him play. I had kind of seen some overlap based on when I was in San Francisco we drafted Trey Lance and he followed him, so kind of knew of him. Then enjoyed watching how competitive he played the position and was super tough in the pocket with field vision down the field, so very familiar and excited that he's a part of our squad."
Q: When you look at the fast track of QB Quinn Ewers's development before his first matchup against a divisional opponent, what stood out to you the most this week?
"I think what stands out about Quinn (Ewers) is that he has all the tools to continue to grow and you have to grow at that position. It's ever-changing. Defenses are changing, your responsibilities, how you motion, how you operate evolves and your game has to, too, because the opponents get paid and see plays that you like and you have to be able to – if you're really good at throwing short, you're going to have to throw long, or if you're good at throwing long, you're going to have to throw short eventually. All those things, you have to be capable of growth, so when I say that doesn't look too big for him, I see a guy that is being able to operate the offense from the huddle, get everyone in the right spots, execute cadence and then take what the defense is giving him to the best of his ability. You have to (have) that field vision and you have a level of fearlessness that I think he's shown. Does that mean he's playing perfect quarterback? Absolutely not, but the growth in the limited opportunities that has been two full games has been impressive, so I'm looking forward to seeing if as a competitor he wants to keep that development going and as a coach, I want to see that. He'll go and compete, but I know the end results will be to the best of his ability for that day because of what he's shown me and how he prepares. I didn't know that going into it. I kind of assumed, but he prepares in a manner that you need your starting quarterback to prepare."
Q: On Troy Aikman, we all remember he was critical during that Monday Night Football broadcast of the urgency at the end of that Steelers game. Was there any clearing of the air that took place between you?
"No, that stuff doesn't hit me – when I signed up for this job, this just in and when things work, people will applaud; when they don't work, they'll have critiques. And if I expect anything else, that's a level of entitlement that doesn't really hit me correctly. It's kind of the nature of the biz. So you're telling me he didn't like us not scoring points and taking up too much time? Neither did I, that was not the intent. He's doing his job, and when I signed up for this job it was inherent that results will dictate all narratives regardless of if things were good, bad or whatever. It doesn't bother me in the least. As a matter of fact, I think it would be funny if it did."
