Report: Contingency plan for Calais Campbell has been kicked around ever since nixed trade

Before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline, the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins reportedly were close to a deal that would have sent defensive tackle Calais Campbell to Baltimore and a fifth-round pick to Miami.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel went on to nix the trade before it became official, and after his decision, he told Campbell just how important he is to the team.

“I can’t do it,” McDaniel told him, per The Athletic. “You’re too valuable to us.”

There has been chatter lately about the possibility of the Dolphins letting Campbell join a contender if Miami falls out of the playoff race. What may be surprising to some is that according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, that idea has actually been kicked around behind the scenes for a while now.

“Let’s talk about the Miami Dolphins and Calais Campbell, the veteran who, at 38 years old, is playing as good as he ever had, made some news this week by talkin’ about potentially being waived and landing with a contender,” Rapoport began.

“Here’s my understanding of what happened. When Mike McDaniel nixed the trade around the time of the trade deadline of Calais Campbell to his old team, the Baltimore Ravens, there was a discussion. And in that discussion was this: If the Dolphins fall out of the playoff race, which could actually happen sooner rather than later, they could potentially waive Campbell and let him land with a really good, playoff-bound team.”

The clock is seemingly ticking on Campbell’s NFL tenure. He’s the oldest player on the Dolphins at the moment and has played in the league ever since the 2008 campaign. Campbell was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

As Rapoport noted, Campbell suited up for the Ravens in the past. He spent three seasons in Baltimore and received a Pro Bowl nod in his first year with the team.

He would theoretically have a puncher’s chance at winning the first Super Bowl of his pro career if he were to rejoin the Ravens soon as Baltimore has already clinched a playoff spot with a record of 10-5. The Ravens are also on a two-game winning streak and fresh off a victory over a very good Pittsburgh Steelers squad.

Conversely, while the Ravens have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, the Dolphins’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread at the moment. Miami will be playing a must-win game when it takes on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

If the Dolphins fall to San Francisco and drop to 6-9 on the season with two games left on their schedule, folks should expect rumors regarding the possibility that Miami will waive Campbell to heat up in the coming days. But with any luck, Sunday’s game will end with a more favorable outcome for Campbell and company.