The Miami Dolphins have arrived at their season's make-or-break moment. With a Week 9 win, the Dolphins are 3-5 and could easily find themselves in the playoff picture. A loss would drop the team to 2-6, on the outside looking in. Head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the Dolphins’ situation after last Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
If Miami loses its Week 9 divisional clash with the Buffalo Bills, the team could decide to sell at the trade deadline. One of the players likely to be moved in that scenario is defensive lineman Calais Campbell, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Teams have already been inquiring about the veteran pass rusher, according to Schefter. The trade deadline is Tuesday, November 5 at 4pm ET.
Now 38, the former Defensive Player of the Year isn’t the same difference-maker on the field he once was. However, the 17th-year veteran can still make an impact on the game and provide valuable leadership for a contending team. The Dolphins signed Campbell as a free agent during the offseason. After seven games in his debut season in Miami, Campbell has 22 combined tackles, two sacks, three passes defended and a forced fumble.
Calais Campbell could finish the season on his sixth NFL team in 17 years
The Dolphins will take on the Bills for the second time this season. During the teams’ first meeting in Week 2, Tua Tagovailoa suffered another serious concussion and was forced to leave the game. Prior to the injury, Tagovailoa was struggling against Buffalo’s defense. The fifth-year veteran was 17/25 for 145 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Tagovailoa was sidelined with the injury until Week 8. Despite the return of their starting quarterback, the Dolphins fell to the Cardinals 28-27 last Sunday. With the loss Miami dropped to 2-5 and the team is now in third place in the AFC East. Campbell displayed some of his veteran leadership, discussing how the Dolphins can turn their season around following the deflating defeat.
Tagovailoa played well against Arizona after missing a month and a half of action. He went 28/38 for 234 yards and a touchdown while adding 13 rushing yards on three attempts. The Dolphins took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter but the defense was unable to stop two scoring drives led by Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Arizona completed the comeback victory with a field goal as time expired.
If the team’s struggles continue against the Bills in Week 9, the Dolphins could decide to sell at the trade deadline. If Campbell is moved, he could finish the season playing for his sixth NFL team.
