He said he didn’t want to sign a one-day contract
The photo above is of Cardinals rookie DE Calais Campbell praying before Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009. It is therefore absolutely amazing to know that Calais Campbell, after nine years with the team and after 8 years combined of stints with the Jaguars, Ravens, Falcons and Dolphins, has returned to Arizona to play on the team that drafted him in the 2nd round (#50 overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Here, Calais Campbell explains to Jon Gruden and The Draft Show company how “sweet” it is to return to the team that drafted him and —- not simply, after playing 17 seasons —- to sign a one-day contract so that he could retire a Cardinal —- no, what made it sweet for Calais was having the chance to play again in Arizona.
What is the key to playing 18 years in the NFL?
“Hard work and love” – Calais Campbell#BirdGang
( @barstoolsports)pic.twitter.com/Y2IHQdI6vL— SleeperCardinals (@SleeperAZCards) May 3, 2025
How amazing is it for Cardinals fans and players to be able to have one member from their lone Super Bowl team on this year’s team, a whopping 17 years later?
How amazing too is that Calais Campbell, playing one of the NFL’s most grueling positions, has aged like a fine Cabernet?
Calais Campbell’s Year to Year PFF Overall Grades:
- 2008 —- ARZ —- 55.5
- 2009 —- ARZ —- 68.7
- 2010 —- ARZ —- 61.6
- 2011 —-ARZ —- 71.4
- 2012 —- ARZ —- 76.0
- 2013 —- ARZ —- 75.1
- 2014 —- ARZ —- 82.5
- 2015 —- ARZ —- 84.0
- 2016 —- ARZ —- 91.2
- 2017 —- JAX —- 91.0
- 2018 —- JAX —- 90.9
- 2019 —- JAX —- 90.3
- 2020 —- BLT —- 74.7
- 2021 —- BLT —- 80.8
- 2022 —- BLT —- 76.9
- 2023 —- ATL —- 80.0
- 2024 —- MIA —-82.3
Calais Campbell’s Career Stats:
- Regular Season Games: 258
- NFL Playoff Games: 15 (8-7 career record to date)
- Tackles 652 solo + 156 assists = 808
- QB Pressures: 776
- Sacks: 121
- QB hurries: 478
- Batted Passes: 58
- Stops: 617
- Forced Fumbles: 18
- Interceptions: 3
- Penalties: 40
Commentary:
I have always maintained that Calais Campbell was (and is!) the most ideal proto-typical 34 DE the Cardinals have ever drafted. Quite frankly, the Cardinals’ 34 defense has never been the same since he left the team in 2017.
At 6-8, 300, Calais has been, throughout his career, a master of 3,4,5 techniques. Plus, occasionally you can line him up in a 2-point stance to wreak havoc in the A gap or rush him like a galloping giraffe off the edge.
Opposing QBs will tell you; Calais Campbell takes the romance out of the quick-slant pass.
Opposing kickers will tell you: Calais Campbell can take the romance out of a mere chip shot field goal.
Note: CC’s 9 blocked FGs currently makes him the most prolific active FG blocker in the NFL.
Talk about players who make everyone around them better. Calais takes the cake,
Over the course of his 9 seasons with the Cardinals, here is a lineup of arguably his most talented teammates:
- ED —- Betrand Berry
- DE —- Darnell Dockett
- NT —- Corey Peters
- DE —- Calais Campbell
- ED —- Dwight Freeney
- LB —- Karlos Dansby
- LB —- Daryl Washington
- CB —- Patrick Peterson
- SS —- Adrian Wilson
- FS —- Tyrann Mathieu
- CB —- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Proof that Calais Campbell helps to make players around him better?
Is a mere coincidence that he was a key cog during the two most impressive stretches in the history of the Arizona Cardinals, both amidst Ken Whisenhunt’s and Bruce Arians’ heydays?
78-64-1
Having attempted to do the math, I believe that of any of the Arizona Cardinals draftees who have played for the Cardinals for more than 5 years, Calais Campbells’ teams have garnered the highest regular season winning percentage in Arizona Cardinals’ team history at 78-64-1.
5-4
Furthermore, along with teammate and fellow long-term Cardinals’ draftee, Larry Fitzgerald, Calais’s teams had most successful playoff record stretch in franchise history at 5-4.
Arizona “you have a winner” back in town!
A winner who is quite possibly, the Cardinals’ G.O.A.T. defensive teammate.
Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images