Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell is signing a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, marking his 19th NFL season. Turning 40 on September 1, he will become just the third defensive lineman in league history to play into his 40s, joining Bruce Smith and Jim Marshall. The deal brings the six-time Pro Bowler back to Baltimore, where he previously played from 2020 to 2022.
Calais Campbell, who turns 40 on Sept. 1, is set to return to the Ravens on a one-year deal, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The move positions him to join Bruce Smith and Jim Marshall as the only defensive linemen to play into their 40s in NFL history. Campbell spent his first nine seasons with the Cardinals, followed by three with the Jaguars, before arriving in Baltimore from 2020-2022, where he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020. He later played for the Falcons in 2023, Dolphins in 2024, and Cardinals again last season, logging 643 snaps including 499 on defense and recording 6.5 sacks—his best output in seven years. Pro Football Focus graded him No. 23 among interior defensive linemen, with strong marks against the run, and his leadership drew praise from Cardinals players, per ESPN. A six-time Pro Bowler, Campbell holds 117 career sacks, tied for 25th all-time and fourth among active players, plus 65 passes defended since 1999—the seventh-most by a defensive lineman. He also won the 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year award and the 2023 Alan Page Community Award. In Baltimore, Campbell bolsters a defensive line featuring nose tackle Travis Jones and John Jenkins, with pass rushers Trey Hendrickson, second-round draft pick Zion Young, and 2025 second-rounder Mike Green. Nnamdi Madubuike, sidelined by a neck injury early in 2025, is expected to return this season, per ESPN. The Ravens, who had the NFL's second-worst sack rate in 2025, finished the year behind only the 49ers.
