Week 18 will mark the end of Calais Campbell‘s 18th NFL season. It could also represent the final game of his career with another round of retirement thoughts looming. 
For several years now, Campbell has given thought to hanging up his cleats during the offseason. The decorated Cardinals defensive lineman will, to no surprise, do so once again shortly. A lengthy process on that front should not be expected.
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“The last few years I’ve been through this process I’ve known pretty quickly that I’ve wanted to play again,” Campbell said (via Darren Urban of the team’s website). “It didn’t take me that long – within a month or so, I knew I wanted to play football again. We’ll see… Even if I decide not to play again, I want to have the ability to say no, rather than them saying, ‘See you later.’”
At the age of 39, Campbell has remained an impactful player on defense and special teams. The 2010s All-Decade Team member has recorded 6.5 sacks while also tacking on a blocked field goal and extra point attempt. Returning for another season would add to his impressive career totals, which will include 278 regular season appearances after Sunday’s game. The all-time record for defensive linemen is 282, held by Jim Marshall.
The 2025 offseason saw Campbell return to the Cardinals – the team with which he spent his first nine seasons – after single campaigns in Atlanta and Miami. The six-time Pro Bowler also enjoyed productive spells with the Jaguars and Ravens before re-joining Arizona. In August, Campbell said he expected this season to be his last. Coming off another healthy campaign, though, it will be interesting to see if he changes his mind.
The Cardinals have fallen well short of expectations this season, but signs have pointed to both head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort remaining in place for 2026. Stability on that front could help the chances of Campbell spending another year in Arizona (provided he continues playing), although he would presumably have a notable free agent market otherwise.