With a loss to the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention last week. With a loss to New York, Miami finished the regular season with an 8-9 record and, for the first time in Mike McDaniel’s three-year tenure as head coach, failed to make the playoffs. The Dolphins have an opportunity to draft a talented prospect with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Miami Dolphins were open to releasing their elite veteran defensive lineman so he could sign with a team in playoff contention
According to Omar Kelly of The Miami Herald, the Dolphins were open to the idea of releasing elite Pro Bowl defensive lineman Calais Campbell before the end of the regular season. Waiving Campbell before the end of the regular season would allow teams in playoff contention to sign/claim him off waivers. If he were to clear waivers, he would hit free agency and be able to sign with anybody. However, since the Dolphins weren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention until their last regular season game, the Pro Bowler will stay put.
Dolphins’ elite veteran defensive lineman cannot sign with a new team, ending his 17th season
According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network, Calais Campbell is ineligible to sign with a team in playoff contention since the Miami Dolphins did not release him the Saturday before their regular-season finale. As Rogers points out, for any player, like Campbell, cut after the last Saturday of Week 18, teams cannot claim them off waivers and have them immediately available to play because they won’t be added to a roster until after the Super Bowl finishes. Therefore, the future Hall of Famer will conclude his 17th season with 52 tackles, 12 TFLs, 12 QB hits, five sacks, five pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
Maybe this is out there, but since I keep getting Calais Campbell questions, waivers is essentially paused through the Super Bowl. Any player cut after the last Saturday of the regular season can still be claimed, but won’t be awarded to a roster until after the playoffs…
— Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network (@Justin_Rogers) January 8, 2025
Will he retire this offseason?
During last Friday’s press conference, Calais Campbell told the media that he would have to treat Week 18 as potentially his last game in the National Football League. Campbell went on to say that he would not make any decisions regarding his future until the offseason. Here’s what he had to say about his future in the NFL:
“Quite a bit,” Campbell said when asked if he has thought about his future, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I try not to make decisions during the season. I try to wait till the offseason to kind of really put myself in that, and I do feel like there’s a chance I could play again. I know that it’s not 100 percent or I’m definitely going to be done, but I have to treat this like it could be my last game. That’s a pretty strong emotional feeling there. As much as I love this game, as much as I’ve given this game, the fact that this could be the last one is kind of crazy. But I’m going to go out there and play with all my heart and try to finish with a bang.”
Next stop: Canton, Ohio
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