Can you imagine Dan Marino in the Silver and Black? Believe it or not, it almost happened.
While Marino was special early in his career, his play was not in 1988 and 1989. In those two years alone, Marino threw 45 interceptions to just 52 touchdowns as his Dolphins’ team went 14-18 during that stretch.
With the Dolphins struggling, head coach Don Shula seriously considered trading the All-Pro quarterback ahead of the 1990 season. In an article by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Raiders nearly pulled off a deal to acquire Marino. Here is a snippet from Salguero on the potential trade.
(Don) Shula, only the winningest coach in NFL history, not only considered the trade, but nearly took the step. The reason Marino didn’t play his final decade in silver and black is because Shula and Davis came to an agreement on the trade and then Shula increased his asking price not once but twice. Davis, who thought he had a deal for Marino at one point, balked at the final lopsided proposal from Miami.
While the details of the potential trade weren’t released, one would think that the Raiders would’ve to surrender multiple first-round picks for Marino. Not surprisingly, Marino bounced back in the 1990 season, leading the Dolphins to a 12-4 record.
Marino was never able to replicate his early career success (1984-1987), but he was still a Pro Bowl quality quarterback for the entire decade from 1990-1999. Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Raiders giving up even four first-round picks would have been worth it to acquire the eventual Hall of Famer.
[vertical-gallery id=70932]
[lawrence-newsletter]