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Calais Campbell weighs in on possible Dolphins release before playoffs

It'd be hard to blame him for wanting to make one last playoff run.
Cameron Ellis
Cameron Ellis

Phin Phanatic

Miami Dolphins v Houston Texans / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

Calais Campbell's one season with the Miami Dolphins probably didn't go as planned, but that's certainly not his fault.

In his 17th season, Campbell has still found a way to be plenty productive for Miami's defense, starting all 14 games he's appeared in while putting up four sacks, 43 solo tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and nine QB hits.

But with the Dolphins all but eliminated from playoff contention, Miami's front office is in a little bit of a pickle. Campbell, who's widely considered one of the best teammates and locker-room influences in the NFL, may be playing his last season.

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It's not unheard of for vets like Campbell to get released from their bad teams towards the end of the season in hopes of chasing a ring, and I think I speak for most NFL fans when I say that everyone would be on board with seeing Campbell contribute in some sort of way to a playoff run.

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Campbell admitted that it's a discussion that he's had with the Dolphins this year, but it doesn't sound like any sort of decision is coming soon.

Calais Campbell gave Dolphins fans a clear look at how he's viewing the end of Miami's season

"Weeks back, before the trade deadline, there was a small conversation," Campbell said. "You really didn't hope it'd ever become a thing. It was kind of like just something to talk about, nothing concrete or anything like that. So I don't know if we're there just yet, but it's definitely something to think about."

"I came here to the Dolphins with a year-long commitment to go out there and compete and try to make the playoffs. That job's technically not done yet, we still have a shot, so I'm still committed."

At the risk of reading too far in between the lines, this sure sounds like someone who's at peace with a release once the Dolphins are officially eliminated.

If he is released, he'd be subject to waivers – meaning he technically wouldn't be guaranteed to land with a playoff-caliber team, though there'd probably be something of an unspoken understanding about why he's on waivers in the first place.

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Cameron Ellis

Cameron Ellis

Cam Ellis is an NFL staff writer for FanSided, specializing in covering all 32 teams across the league, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a decade of experience in sports media, having spent time at 680 The Score in Chicago, ABC Denver, and NBC Sports Washington. Since 2014 his work has been featured on NBC Sports Chicago, The Ralphie Report, and various sites across Minute Media and FanSided. In his career he has covered the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, free agency, and is a regular part of gameday coverage.