The Cardinals have been engaged on constructing their defensive position all offseason and are including the piece that not solely will invigorate the unit but in addition the fan base.
Veteran Calais Campbell, who spent the primary 9 years of his profession in Arizona after the Cardinals drafted him within the second spherical in 2008, has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the desert on Tuesday.
On Instagram, Campbell posted a photograph of himself holding up a convention championship towel as a rookie after beating the Eagles within the 2008 playoffs. Within the caption, he wrote “What a narrative it will be! Began my profession with a bang. Now it is time to end it with a bang again residence the place it first started!”
The contract is reportedly value $5.5 million, with a most worth of $7.5M.
Campbell, who will flip 39 in September, began all 17 video games for the Dolphins in 2024. He did the identical for the Falcons in 2023, and in his 17-year profession, the sturdy Campbell has missed solely 15 video games.
The 6-foot-8, 305-pounder was a rookie for the Cardinals’ Tremendous Bowl crew in 2008. He piled up 56.5 sacks, 42 go deflections and eight compelled fumbles in 138 video games in Arizona. He made the Professional Bowl his final three seasons with the Cardinals, and was named second-team All-Professional twice.
He left as a free agent in 2017, with the Cardinals mistakenly pondering Robert Nkemdiche would be capable to fill his function. Campbell made the Professional Bowl all three seasons with Jacksonville — together with a first-team All-Professional — earlier than enjoying with Baltimore for 3 seasons (with one other Professional Bowl) forward of his transfer to Atlanta. Since leaving the Cardinals, Campbell has one other 54 sacks.
For the Dolphins in 2024, Campbell had 5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss enjoying 58 p.c of the defensive snaps – work that regardless of his age made him a invaluable addition to Nick Rallis’ protection.
Campbell joins a defensive position that simply obtained an enormous improve with free agent Dalvin Tomlinson to go along with veterans Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols and L.J. Collier in addition to draftees Darius Robinson and Dante Stills.
