At 39 years old, going on 40, defensive lineman Calais Campbell is still looking to ball out in the NFL.
The Arizona Cardinals still think he can do just that and signed him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal on Tuesday in what could’ve been chalked up to be an April Fools joke.
Nobody appears to be laughing except for Campbell, naturally, as he nets a decent pay day for one more year of NFL service. The six-time Pro Bowler was drafted by the team in 2008 and played in Glendale, Arizona until 2016.
“What a story it would be!” Campbell wrote on his Instagram account after the deal was announced. “Started my career with a bang. Now it’s time to finish it with a bang back home where it first began!”
Fans can basically take that message as Campbell announcing that the 2025-26 season will be his last and that his returning to Arizona will be a farewell tour of sorts.
Over the last eight seasons, Campbell has played for four different franchises (Jacksonville, Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami). He recorded five sacks with the Dolphins in 2024-25 which was about on par for his average since leaving the desert (6.75 sacks-per-year).
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So, it appears the Cardinals are bringing in a solid veteran presence for a defensive line that totaled just 41 sacks in 2024, of which the leader amongst the team was 25-year-old Zaven Collins who recorded the same number as Campbell.
Even if the Cardinals aren’t playoff contenders in 2025, it’ll be a fitting ending to Campbell’s career to ride off into the Arizona sunset.
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