Retirement has been a talking point surrounding Calais Campbell for years now. The 2010s All-Decade Team member is set to play in 2025, but it could mark the end of the road in his case. 
When asked on Thursday if the coming campaign will be his last, Campbell said (via Bleacher Report’s James Palmer), “I’d be very surprised if it’s not.” Nearing his 39th birthday, Campbell has given thought to retirement in the past, and he clarified his current stance on the matter is the same as it was last year (video link). Depending on how the 2025 season plays out, therefore, the decision to hang up his cleats could very well come next spring.
Campbell has continued to draw interest around the league even in the waning stages of his career. The former All-Pro spent 2024 with the Dolphins after a midseason trade sending him back to the Ravens fell through. Both Miami and Baltimore attempted to sign him in free agency this spring, but Campbell ultimately retuned to where his NFL tenure began by taking a deal with the Cardinals.
The six-time Pro Bowler spent his first nine seasons in Arizona, reaching the Super Bowl as a rookie and establishing himself as one of the league’s best (and most versatile) defensive linemen over the following years. A three-year stint with the Jaguars resulted in Campbell’s string of awards continuing, and he remained a full-time starter during a tenure of the same length in Baltimore. After a cost-shedding Ravens release, Campbell spent 2023 with the Falcons.
It was during that Atlanta campaign that Campbell surpassed 100 career sacks, a feat he repeatedly stated he wished to attain before retiring. The Miami alum returned to the location of his college career for 2024 and added another five sacks to his career total while logging over half of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps. A notable workload should again be in store with Arizona.
Campbell, 39 in September, has been able to delay retirement partly because of good health. The 261-game participant has mostly healthy in his NFL twilight years. Campbell did not miss a game during his Falcons and Dolphins one-off seasons. This has allowed the standout interior defender/kick-blocking presence to rise on the all-time sack list. Campbell sits 29th on the official sack list (1982-present), with 110.5. He is just 2.5 sacks away from the top 25, though the likes of T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett — each just behind Campbell — could vault the two-time Cardinal on the all-time list this season.
The Cardinals stood down along their defensive line during the first offseason after J.J. Watt‘s retirement and Zach Allen‘s Broncos defection, but they have made far more notable investments here over the past two years. They used a first-round pick on Darius Robinson in 2024 then spent their ’25 first-rounder on Walter Nolen. In addition to Campbell, Arizona added Dalvin Tomlinson to fortify its front this year.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.