Calais Campbell will continue his National Football League career with the Baltimore Ravens, following a one-year return to the Arizona Cardinals, according to an April 30 announcement. Campbell, who is entering his 19th season and will turn 40 at the start of the upcoming season, is expected to break the league record for games played by a defensive lineman.
The move highlights Campbell’s longevity and consistent performance in professional football. He started all 17 games last season for Arizona, recording six and a half sacks, nine tackles for loss, and two blocked kicks. “I’ve always tried to play well enough where I have a choice,” Campbell said late last season. “The first thing I feel is a badge of honor, that I can still do it, I can still hang with the young guys… And then I feel old. I feel old.”
Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort said at the conclusion of the draft that Campbell had “earned the right” to wait for his best opportunity before deciding on his next team. Despite hopes that his return would coincide with an upward trend toward postseason success for Arizona, that did not materialize.
Campbell’s career includes stints with several teams: he was drafted by Arizona in 2008 and played there for nine years before joining Jacksonville (2017-2019), Baltimore (2020-2022), Atlanta (2023), Miami (2024), and returning to Arizona in 2025. He has amassed significant career statistics: 117 sacks, 196 tackles for loss, 18 forced fumbles, three interceptions, three safeties and ten blocked field goals along with an extra-point block in 2025.
He has made six Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro once as well as second-team All-Pro twice; during his first year in Jacksonville he finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The Cardinals are recognized as both the oldest continuously operating professional football franchise in America and serve the greater Phoenix area. They play home games in Glendale as part of the NFC West division.
Reflecting on what it means to be part of such a community-focused organization throughout his career journey across multiple teams—including another stint now ahead with Baltimore—Campbell said late last season: “When you get drafted to a team and you are part of an organization and a community, football is a beautiful game because people get behind you… The whole community is attached to the team. It’s a good feeling to be part of that… I can create good plays that brings joy to people, and that means a lot to me.”
