Calais Campbell has long been a dominant defensive lineman in the NFL.
The veteran spent the 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins and is now looking to find a new team for his 18th NFL season. While not the elite disruptor he was in his younger years, Campbell is still a useful player who can help a team out in 2025.
Nick Shook of NFL.com recently identified the best landing spots for the top remaining free agents. For Campbell, Shook identified the Cincinnati Bengals as a logical option.
Regarding Campbell’s potential fit in Cincinnati, Shook offered the following:
The Bengals missed the playoffs last year largely because their defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed in the first half of the season. During this frustrating period, many Cincinnati fans lamented the loss of D.J. Reader to free agency, blaming it for their struggles on that side of the ball. Campbell completed his Miami homecoming in 2024 but hasn’t retired and is still one heck of a player, even with his 39th birthday coming in September. Sure, it gets cold in Cincinnati in the winter, but it’ll feel a lot warmer if the Bengals’ late-season games are meaningful. And after spending lavishly to keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it’s high time to turn to the defense. Adding Campbell makes sense even if the team gives Trey Hendrickson a new deal, especially with a playoff return atop their list of expectations for 2025.
In 2024, Campbell played in all 17 games for the Dolphins and racked up 52 tackles, five sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits.
Even at age 38, Campbell earned an elite 82.3 Pro Football Focus grade. That grade ranked Campbell seventh out of 219 qualified defensive ends. Campbell’s 85.9 run defense grade was the best mark among all defensive ends.
Campbell has earned six Pro Bowl selections and was selected as a First-team All-Pro in 2017. The veteran has accumulated 110.5 sacks in his career and has been remarkably durable, never playing in fewer than 12 games in a season.
The Bengals could certainly use a player like Campbell. Starting defensive end Sam Hubbard shockingly retired this offseason, and the Bengals needed help up front even before that news.
Joseph Ossai was re-signed to a one-year deal, but the former third-round pick would be best used in a rotational capacity. If Campbell is added, the veteran would take some pressure off of a young Bengals’ front.
Spotrac projects Campbell to land a one-year deal worth $7.1 million in free agency. Over the Cap currently has the Bengals sitting at around $23 million in cap space, so adding the veteran makes sense from a financial standpoint.
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