NFL News: Calais Campbell Holds Off Retirement To Return For One Last Season

After the Baltimore Ravens failed to make the playoffs, many believed that defensive end Calais Campbell would be calling it a career.

However, the man himself has since declared his intentions for next season.

Campbell made it clear that he will be returning to the NFL after witnessing the Los Angeles Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI.

“Oh yeah, I'm not retiring. I watched this game. The feeling I have right now after seeing them celebrate a Super Bowl championship, I have a desire to go out there and play football and to compete. So, I'm definitely not retiring; I'm coming back,” Campbell announced on the Sky Sports broadcast.

The 35-year-old made his way to Baltimore via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2019-20 season and signed a one-year extension shortly after the move.

Signs of a troubling season manifested for Baltimore after a slew of injuries in the preseason, which took out their entire running group and key personnel on the defensive end.

A promising start despite the injuries had Ravens fans, and surely Campbell himself, hoping that they would overcome the odds, but an astounding six-game losing streak to close the season shut the door on their postseason chances.

Bringing Campbell back to M&T Bank Stadium for one last run would be a welcome move for the Ravens’ depleted defensive line.

Now would be the right time to ask whether re-signing the unrestricted free agent would help their chances of making the Super Bowl or not.

The passionate and vocal leader of the Ravens’ defensive group had been productive in his 14 starts for the team this season, making 49 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.

Baltimore fans may have grown to love the six-time Pro Bowler on their side, though they might not see him rock the purple jersey next season due to financial constraints.

The Ravens only have about $9 million in cap space heading into the offseason, and general manager Eric DeCosta will need to weigh his options carefully as he searches for options to address holes across the depth chart.

The 14-year veteran provides a security blanket for the Ravens’ defensive line, but it will need him to take a pay cut in order to facilitate their moves in the offseason.

Improving their offensive line has to be their immediate priority as 2019 MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked 38 times this past season–tied for seventh-most alongside the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger and Washington Football Team’s Taylor Heinicke.

With the Ravens owning their picks in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft, signs of Campbell’s future in Baltimore will depend on the players DeCosta will select.