The 2021 NFL season could be the last dance for Ravens veteran Calais Campbell
Baltimore Ravens veteran defensive end Calais Campbell will enter the 2021 season knowing it could be his last. The upcoming season will be Campbell’s 14th in the NFL, and the soon-to-be 35-year-old told reporters that he has given retirement a thought.
"I kind of take it one year at a time. I know that I've got this year in me for sure. I'm going to give what I have this year, and then we'll reevaluate once the season ends.”
Calais Campbell wants to make it 15 years in the NFL
"It's definitely something you think about. I used to say when I was younger I wanted to play 15 (years). I didn't realize how hard 15 was going to be. This is 14 for me. I know I've got this in me for sure. I'd still like to play 15. Hopefully I've got another one. We'll see."
In his first season in Baltimore, the six-foot-eight people-mover showed he still has something to offer the Ravens' defense. Calais Campbell played 12 games in 2020, recording four sacks and 28 tackles.
Campbell still seeking Super Bowl success
The six-time Pro Bowler is still seeking his first Super Bowl ring. He played in the 2009 Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which the Arizona Cardinals lost 27–23.
"There's only one happy team at the end of the year," Campbell said. "Last year, we felt like we had a good chance but we didn't get it done. I think the mentality this year is just try to make the best of this one. We know what we have as a team as far as talent, as far as scheme. We know that we can be very good, quite special, really.”
A Super Bowl victory this season would be the perfect way for Calais Campbell to call time on his NFL career.
Campbell has made an impact off the field during his pro career. The defensive end won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2019. The award honors a player's charity work as well as excellence on the field.
The former Miami Hurricanes defensive star was drafted 50th overall in the second round by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has featured for the Cardinals, Jaguars and Ravens in his NFL career.
Calais Campbell Career Stats
Games - 198
Tackles - 724
Sacks - 92
Interceptions - 3
Forced fumbles - 11