Veteran defensive end Calais Campbell joined the Ravens for this week’s mandatory minicamp and acknowledged this might be the final one he takes part in as an NFL player.
Campbell is heading into his 14th season and he’ll turn 35 years old shortly before the team’s first game of the regular season, which means that he’s started to think about how much longer he will be playing the game. On Tuesday, he told reporters that he’s not ready to make any decisions about anything beyond the coming season.
“That’s something I’m still figuring out, I guess,” Campbell said, via the team’s website. “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. 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.”
Campbell has been the Walter Payton Man of the Year, an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, and he’s played in a Super Bowl. He’s never won one, however, and the Ravens finding a way to check that box could help him decide that there’s no mountains left to climb as a professional football player.