Dolphins legend Dan Marino wonders if he could have won a Super Bowl if he had left Miami

There are many NFL legends who finished their careers without a Super Bowl win. Wide receivers Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and running back Eric Dickerson are a few notable names, but arguably the best player to never win the Lombardi Trophy is former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino. 

Marino spent all 17 of his NFL seasons in Miami, and went 147-93 as a starter. The legendary signal-caller went 8-10 in the playoffs, however, and got a shot to win Super Bowl XIX back in 1985, but ultimately fell to the San Francisco 49ers, 38-16. 

Marino remained loyal to the Dolphins, but he has wondered what could have been if he left Miami. Could he have won a Super Bowl with another contender, much like Matthew Stafford and Odell Beckham Jr. did last year with the Los Angeles Rams?

“Yes, I definitely thought about it to be honest with you,” Marino said on USA Today’s “Sports Seriously.” “I played 17 years for the Dolphins and they were kind of going in a new direction with a new coach, and I had offers to go play other places and really thought about it, and maybe had a chance to win a championship like Matthew [Stafford] has done.”

Marino said the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers were both interested in his services later in his career, but he ultimately made the decision to remain with the Dolphins, and retired prior to the 2000 season. 

The quarterback doesn’t regret his decision to be a Dolphin lifer, and actually still works for the franchise as a special advisor to the vice chairman, president and CEO. 

“I thought about it for a long time; it just didn’t feel right,” Marino said. “I just decided I’ll just be a Dolphin for life and it’s worked out great. But I did, I will tell you that. I did think about that.” 

While Marino doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring, he racked up numerous awards many players will never earn. He’s a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame, won NFL MVP in 1984, and led the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns multiple times.