Calais Campbell is back with the Ravens on a one-year deal and is entering his 19th NFL season at 39. He will turn 40 just before Week 1, a rare line for a defensive player who still expects to keep playing through this season.
“I get asked that almost every day, from players, coaches, staff, fans, my family. Everybody says, ‘Why do you keep doing this?’ I think the only answer I can really give is that I love the game,” Campbell said. He added, “I’m still fairly good at it, and they still want me to play. So, it’s like, ‘Why not?’”
Under Armour Performance Center
He stepped out onto the field at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills and said, “Even today I was like, ‘I get to go out there on the field, put my helmet on,’ it’s a good feeling.” That return puts him back in front of a defense that already knows how much he can still give.
Jesse Minter put the point plainly: “Calais can still play at a really high level,” and, “I think his tape last season speaks for itself.” Minter also said, “So, I’m excited about what he’ll bring between the lines to our defense — and then also very excited about him as a person and him as a leader in the locker room.”
Campbell’s 17-game season
Last season, Campbell played all 17 regular-season games with the Arizona Cardinals and posted 6.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. He has now played 278 of a possible 293 regular-season games in 18 years, missing only 15 games.
That durability sits against the hard part of the story. Campbell is 6-foot-8 and weighs 315 pounds, has made 6 Pro Bowls, finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2017, and won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2019. He has already earned more than $150 million, but the work has continued.
Rare company at 40
Campbell is poised to become only the sixth defensive player since 1960 to play in the NFL after turning 40. The others are Jim Marshall, Junior Seau, Darrell Green, Bruce Smith and Clay Matthews. Junior Seau was the last to do it, retiring at 40 after the 2009 season after 11 games and 36 tackles across his final two years.
That leaves Campbell chasing a line few defensive players have crossed. He said, “I’m healthy, and I love the game,” and, “I’m going to enjoy it as long as I can.”
