This is a whole new twist added to the story of Calais Campbell and how close the Miami Dolphins came to moving him at the trade deadline.
It’s courtesy of his brother Jared, comedian and former University of Miami defensive back, appearing as a guest on comedian and Dolphins fan Mike Lenoci’s podcast.
While it was previously reported that the Dolphins had turned down an offer of a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Baltimore Ravens for the veteran defensive lineman, Jared Campbell expanded on the day’s discussions as he was told. relayed by his brother.
“There was a bidding war,” he said, mentioning the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and, well sure, the Ravens as interested teams. “They had nine teams offering at least a sixth-round pick. … Then there was a bidding war, so the teams offered a fifth — the 49ers and the Ravens. [Dolphins] said, “Oh, we’ll go with the Ravens.” You know the team, they look good. You’re good.’ And the 49ers came in at the last minute and said we’ll give him a fourth-round pick.
Head coach Mike McDaniel later confirmed reports that he had intervened late in the process to make it clear that he did not want the team to trade Campbell, even though the Dolphins were 2-6 at the time, as that would have been a sign of abandoning the season.
“Yes, the offer of compensation for his services was real, and I think it wasn’t like it was (general manager Chris Grier) against me,” McDaniel said. “It was more because Chris looked at things the way I did, or we worked together, and I may or may not have had an adult tantrum. (laugh) That’s the tricky part of Chris’s job, is he has to look long term and short term at the same time, what’s best for the organization, and then he does too – we rely on each other others for the things I need to be on. at the top, and one of them is the locker room and what an individual does for an entire team. I think that speaks to Calais because it was a lot of compensation for a guy who has just passed the 30-year mark.
“It’s a testament to the way he plays. It’s a testament to what he means to the team, that teams would be willing to do that, and there was some competition for that. But yeah, my job is to speak for what’s the best thing for the 2024 Dolphins, I’m just fortunate to work in an organization where me and the general manager can be transparent and work together, and he didn’t want to see any more tantrums. anger in adults.
Forget Campbell who just “passed the 30-year mark.” He turned 38 three months ago, although it’s hard to tell by the way he plays.
Instead of looking like a player finishing out his career, Campbell looks like someone who could return in 2025 and remain productive, although he has indicated he won’t make any decisions on his future until this season.
Campbell made it clear he was chasing a ring when he signed a one-year deal with Miami this offseason, and it’s possible the Dolphins could waive him before the end of the regular season if they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. to give him this opportunity.
“Calais was ready to be traded,” Jared Campbell said on the podcast. “Somehow they made the decision in the last hour before they were like, ‘Hey, give us that choice.’ To say, “No, we’re not going to do that. » Calais said ‘Man, that made me want to love.’ Because if you’re turning down a fourth-round pick for a 38-year-old guy whose contract is expiring, you must really want me.
While the Dolphins want to do right by their players as much as possible, it’s also clear that they take care of the organization first — as they should.
It was the same philosophy applied when the team declined to activate linebacker Shaquil Barrett from the reserve/retired list before the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Thanksgiving Day.
Technically, the Dolphins could still cut Barrett from this list, but that would mean giving up control of his rights, which they will have again in 2025 because his contract weighs one year on the reserve/retired list.
So, yeah, sure, the Dolphins could do Barrett a favor and waive him, but there’s certainly no benefit to them for 2025 or the rest of 2024 once they decide they’d rather roll with the players who have been part of the team since the start of the season.
While it’s easy to sympathize with Barrett, who lost a 2-year-old daughter in April 2023, it’s also fair to point out that he signed a contract with Miami in March 2024 and left the team four months later .
“Just talking to Chris about the state of our roster and the players who have earned the right to be on it, it’s all about the numbers in the NFL, so I don’t think the time is necessarily ideal,” McDaniel said after the Green Bay game on Thanksgiving, two days after Barrett announced he wanted to retire.
“We just found out one day that I had a press conference with you, and it was more than that. It wasn’t a question of whether he wanted to play there or here. He knew we had his contractual rights, so it was more like where we are, and let’s look at our list.
