The Miami Dolphins were reportedly close to completing a trade deadline deal

After the Miami Dolphins hit the NFL trade deadline, head coach Mike McDaniel said he discussed possible deals with GM Chris Grier for players who would be traded or acquired.

Defensive lineman Calais Campbell was clearly one of the players discussed about a possible move away from the Dolphins, and accordingly SI NFL Reporter Albert Breer, he was apparently on the verge of being traded to one of his former teams.

That team was the Baltimore Ravens, who Campbell played for from 2020-22 before spending last season with the Atlanta Falcons.

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

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

On the one hand, Campbell may have been their best player through the first eight games of 2024 after deciding to sign with the team at age 38 and continue his career for a chance at the elusive Super Bowl title .

Having Campbell do this in the city where he played his college football – a UM graduate – was a bonus, but the championship was right for him and the Ravens would clearly have a better chance of doing so now do.

But the Dolphins’ reluctance to negotiate with him makes sense when we consider the organization’s tone after their good performance against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday – yes, even in a loss.

Trading Campbell, even to give him a solid grade if this was indeed his final NFL season, would have been a noble thing, but it would also have signaled that the team is foregoing the 2024 season. And they won’t be able to do that with nine games left.

Ultimately, the Dolphins decided against trading Campbell because they clearly had a better chance of winning with him in the lineup.