The One Dolphins Trade That Almost Was

The Miami Dolphins didn't make a trade deadline deal but had several conversations.

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) enters the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After the Miami Dolphins stood pat at the NFL trade deadline, head coach Mike McDaniel explained he had discussed potential deals with GM Chris Grier for players who would be traded or acquired.

Defensive lineman Calais Campbell was clearly one of those players discussed in a possible trade away from the Dolphins, and according to SI NFL reporter Albert Breer, he apparently came close to being dealt to one of his former teams.

That team was the Baltimore Ravens, for whom Campbell from 2020-22 before he spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons.

"They almost brought Calais Campbell back," Breer said on Amazon Prime before the Thursday night game between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. "That deal fell through at the last minute."

What the Ravens were offering the Dolphins, who were in a sticky spot with Campbell, needs to be clarified.

On the one hand, Campbell has been perhaps their best player through the first eight games of 2024, this after he decided to sign with the team and continue his career at the age of 38 for a chance to chase that elusive Super Bowl title.

That Campbell is doing so in the city where he played his college football — a UM alum — was a bonus, but the championship was the thing for him, and the Ravens clearly would offer a better chance of doing this now.

But the Dolphins' reluctance to deal with him makes sense when we consider the organization's tone after its good performance against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday—yes, even in a loss.

Trading Campbell, even to give him a solid if this indeed will be his last NFL season, would have been a classy thing to do, but it also would have signaled the team was giving up on the 2024 season. And they're not about to do that with nine games left.

Ultimately, the Dolphins decided against moving with Campbell because having him in the lineup clearly gave them a better chance to win.