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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 23: Calais Campbell #93 of the Arizona Cardinals points to the crowd prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals have had a rough offseason on paper.

Now, they are scheduled to lose one of their key veterans and a franchise legend for the second time.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, defensive end Calais Campbell is signing with the Baltimore Ravens for his age-40 season. 

This will likely be Campbell’s last season in the NFL, and 19th overall.

Campbell’s reputation goes without saying. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team and a six-time pro-bowler. 

In 18 seasons, he has accumulated 117 sacks and 196 tackles for a loss. Campbell seems destined to be in Canton one day, but that will have to wait.

Why Was This so Significant for the Arizona Cardinals?

The Cardinals selected Campbell in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami (FL). While not starting a game in 2008, he was a witness to the Cardinals‘ only NFC Championship as a rookie.

From 2009 forward, he became a regular starter for the Cardinals. Huge in stature (6-foot-8, 315 pounds), his physicality made him a force to be reckoned with. From 2009 to 2016, he didn’t record fewer than five sacks in a season or eight tackles for a loss.

His rare ability to get to the quarterback and stop the run game was valued by Arizona, quickly making him a fan favorite.

Campbell would get 56.5 sacks in his first go-around with Arizona. After the 2016 season, Campbell shockingly signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In three seasons with Jacksonville, Campbell would have 31.5 sacks, including a 14.5 sack 2017 season that earned him a first-team All-Pro nod.

After Jacksonville, Campbell would journey around with the Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins, before stopping in Arizona one last time in 2025.

In his age-39 season, Campbell had 6.5 sacks, second-best on the Cardinals team.

Now, after a swan song with Arizona, he will go for one last ride with Baltimore, where he spent three years.

How Will the Team Fare Without Campbell?

Not only was Campbell a force, even in the waning years of his career, but also a respected leader on the team and in the Arizona community. In 2019, Campbell won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Without him, the Cardinals must scramble for a replacement. Josh Sweat had 12 sacks in 2025 and is now the only Cardinal that had more than two on the roster.

Former first-round picks Walter Nolen and Darius Robinson must replace Campbell’s production and develop in years two and three, respectively.

Both dealt with injuries in their rookie seasons, but looked solid while on the field.

Nolen, in his rookie year in 2025, had two sacks, five tackles for a loss and a defensive touchdown in six games.

After a knee injury cut his season short, he will look to show the same promise he did early in the season.

As for Robinson, he had just one sack in 15 games during 2025, while accumulating 43 tackles (four for a loss).

These two players will have to work in sync for the Cardinals to have a successful pass rush.

After a season where Arizona got to the quarterback just 30 times, it will be paramount for new head coach Mike LaFleur to turn this defense around in year one.