Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell (93) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Calais Campbell Discusses NFL Future After Difficult Cardinals Season

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 12:26 PM ET

If this is Calais Campbell's last ride in the NFL, it's sure been interesting.

Nobody could have seen the Arizona Cardinals' season unfolding like it has, as the organization carried postseason expectations entering 2025 before having their year unraveled in 3-13 fashion.

The Cardinals move into 2026 with one final game to be played, which could be the end of Campbell's 18-year career.

It's unknown if the 39-year-old will decide to hang things up -- though he's just focusing on the moment.

"It's not a personal decision, it's a decision everybody has some kind of interest in," Campbell said (h/t AZCardinals.com's Darren Urban). "I try to be respectful (answering questions), but I have to go through my process. I don't know if I'm going to retire or not because I don't know how my body is going to feel.

"Right now I feel good enough to play a football game, and that matters most because I want to be available and healthy."

Campbell would be a free agent this offseason, as he signed a one-year deal to land with the Cardinals ahead of 2025.

"Fantastic. Better than I ever could have thought honestly," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of coaching Campbell.

"Obviously played really well this year. Captain. Leadership, pro's-pro. Energy, juice all the time. I learned a lot from him. It's been awesome."

Though the season has gone astray for Arizona, Campbell's been a key presence to help maintain a positive yet critical direction of the Cardinals.

"I pick players' brains. He's been in a lot of places. He's had a lot of success, everything from defensive line play to how we structure a team meeting to the schedule to everything. He's been around the block, and he's a really good resource because of how long he's been doing it," Gannon continued on Campbell.

"And he's been awesome for our players, too. I know that for our younger guys, he's been a really good resource for them."

Campbell's not just been a key locker room voice -- he's made an impact on the field as well. He's tallied 6.5 sacks and a handful of blocked kicks on special teams along a Cardinals defensive line that hasn't seen consistent play across the board.

The future is unknown for a handful of key faces within the Cardinals' organization -- Campbell included -- though his impact in just one season back in the desert can't be denied.

"I played against him a bunch - he's hit me a lot so it's been good to not get hit by him," starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett said.

"Just to be around somebody like that who has played this long in the NFL and played at a high level. You see the stories of him on other teams and it's been cool to be part of it this year from a teammate perspective. ... Just a Hall of Fame guy on and off the field."