The Miami Dolphins are a mess, particularly at the quarterback position. Moving on from Tua Tagovailoa is a good start, but finding his replacement is the challenging part. Sure, they could attempt to draft their future franchise quarterback, but why draft one when a two-time MVP winner might be available?
Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun ($) hints at a possible breakup between the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson, and that Jackson "would love to play in Miami." If (and it's a big if) the Ravens decide they're done with Jackson and are open to trading him, the Dolphins would make a lot of sense, and have a package that can get a deal done.
Why the Ravens could consider a Lamar Jackson trade
The Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson are at a crossroads, columnist Mike Preston writes. Is a trade possible?
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) December 24, 2025
Jackson is expected to make $74.5 million in 2026 and 2027, which would make him the highest-paid signal-caller in the league. But here is a suggestion for… pic.twitter.com/IrsHSyAdhH
On the surface, trading a quarterback like Jackson in his prime and locked in for another two years after this one is insane. In all likelihood, the Ravens won't be able to find a quarterback as talented as Jackson in quite some time - he is the most talented quarterback in the franchise's history. There are reasons why they'd consider this, though.
First and foremost, Preston says Harbaugh "has become tired of Jackson," making it pretty clear that the Ravens will eventually have to choose one or the other. It makes more sense to choose Jackson, especially given the team's disappointing exits in recent years, but it's entirely possible that the Ravens will choose Harbaugh over Jackson.
Second, the injury concerns are real. Jackson has been banged up for much of this season, and has dealt with a bevy of injuries throughout his career. What are the odds that this will improve for a quarterback who likes to scramble as much as Jackson does as he ages?
Third, his contract is hefty. Jackson is deserving of every penny, but making more than any other quarterback makes it incredibly difficult to build a team around him. We've seen the Ravens' offensive line struggle for much of this year, and we've seen the defense have its ups and downs as well. Will these things really get better as Jackson gets more expensive?
I think the Ravens ought to make it work with their quarterback, knowing how challenging it'll be to find an ideal replacement, but again, there are reasons to trade him, and the Dolphins make a lot of sense as a landing spot that'll keep the Ravens and Jackson happy. Here's what a mock trade might look like.
A mock trade that brings Lamar Jackson to the Dolphins
It goes without saying that to get a quarterback of Jackson's ability, you have to give up a ton. This trade has Miami doing just that, as the Dolphins would part with their next three first-round picks and a second-rounder. It's a lot, obviously, but landing a 28-year-old quarterback who is proven to be one of the best three or five at his position in the game feels like a no-brainer.
As for the Ravens, it's painful to give up on Jackson, but this is also a haul that'll allow them to rebuild. There's a good chance that Miami's 2026 first and second-round picks will be in the top 10 of those rounds, and given Jackson's injury history, it's entirely possible that the 2027 and 2028 first-round picks will be higher than Ravens fans might expect.
Why a Lamar Jackson-Dolphins trade is incredibly tough to pull off
Finding the pieces the Ravens would want in a hypothetical Jackson deal isn't all that difficult, but the issue is the salary cap implications involved in this trade. Jackson has a $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 and 2027, making it difficult for a Miami Dolphins team already with Tagovailoa on the books through 2028 on big money.
Now, this would be a lot easier if the Dolphins could find a taker for Tagovailoa, but the Ravens, a team looking to reset, won't want him, and it's tough to imagine anyone in the league actually willingly taking Tagovailoa without being compensated for doing so.
There are ways to make this work for the Dolphins even with Tagovailoa in town, like cutting bait with expensive veterans like Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Minkah Fitzpatrick, and restructuring Jackson's contract. It's unlikely that this all comes to fruition, but there are always ways to make deals like this work in the NFL. If the Ravens want to trade Jackson badly enough and the Dolphins want him badly enough, this can work, as unlikely as it is.
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