The Baltimore Ravens made a significant move on Wednesday when they officially agreed to sign defensive end Calais Campbell.
A report surfaced on April 30 indicating that Campbell would return to play for the Ravens, but nothing became official until he signed his contract.
Campbell is entering his 19th NFL season and has spent time with a handful of teams, including the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins and even had a stint with the Ravens from 2020 to 2022.
The 6-foot-8 defensive end has earned a spot in six Pro Bowls, with two of those selections coming while playing for the Cardinals, three during his time with the Jaguars, and his most recent appearance in 2020 with the Ravens.
In the 41 games Campbell played in Baltimore, he recorded a total of 113 combined tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Even at 39, Campbell continues to contribute to the defense. Last season with the Cardinals, he notched 6.5 sacks over 17 games, demonstrating that he can still pressure the quarterback and remain durable, playing in every regular season game.
Campbell will now have the opportunity to play with a more talented defense with the Ravens than he did last season in Arizona. He could play a crucial role in Baltimore’s return to the playoffs after missing out last season.
Campbell Wants to Help the Ravens in a Big Way
One of the main reasons Campbell returned to the Ravens was the opportunity to play for a team that could potentially win a Super Bowl. He even expressed to the Ravens’ media team his desire to come back and help the team win games.
“This year there was a lot more pressure than years past,” Campbell said on Wednesday, via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper. “Eric DeCosta called pretty much every year, but this year was more like ‘I gotta have you. This could make a big difference.’ I felt that. I believe that this team has all the tools to win. . . . Where can I go where I can make plays and win games? Baltimore made the most sense when it came down to that.”
The Ravens have come close to winning a Super Bowl over the past eight years with Lamar Jackson as their quarterback, but they’ve consistently fallen short. Although Campbell spent three seasons with the Ravens and Jackson, this year feels different from those past attempts. A big part of that change can be attributed to the new head coach now at the helm.
Ravens Hire Jesse Minter as New Head Coach
The Ravens’ decision to part ways with head coach John Harbaugh and promote Jesse Minter to the role was unexpected. However, Minter could bring a fresh perspective and a revitalizing energy to the team that they haven’t experienced in quite some time.
Harbaugh remains an excellent coach and could do remarkable things as the New York Giants‘ head coach. However, the Ravens needed a fresh leader, and now it will be interesting to see how Minter performs in his first year, especially for a team aiming for the Super Bowl. This is often a challenge that many first-year head coaches don’t have to face, but Minter stands out as one of the few who can rise to the occasion.
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