The Ravens are signing a 40-year-old quarterback for his 19th NFL season and it’s amazing.
Calais Campbell is timeless. And to prove it, on Thursday he agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens that will make 2026 his 19th NFL season.
That’s not the most impressive part.
This is it: This man is a defensive lineman.
Calais Campbell of the Baltimore Ravens is introduced before the game against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 4, 2022. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
He plays on the edge and sometimes inside the defensive line where 300-pound offensive linemen in a bad situation can double-team him. Or sink to his knees. Or catch him in unspeakable places.
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(Playing defensive line in the NFL is not for the faint of heart).
Campbell has the ability to play on the edge when passing down or when his team is ahead. The Ravens can also line up Campbell inside their running backs like Trey Hendrickson to force the opposing team to choose which pass rusher they want to match the two teams.
And that inside rush, which could effectively turn Campbell into a short-term defensive tackle, will come from a 40-year-old.
Forty!
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones throws a pass while Baltimore Ravens’ Calais Campbell tackles him in the first half in East Rutherford, NJ, on Oct. 16, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP)
He is probably one of the few NFL players who remembers Ice Cube as a member of NWA and not just as a player.
You’re probably thinking, NFL players in their 40s are no different. Unusual, but not unique.
Of course.
Tom Brady played until he was 45 in 2022.
Brett Favre and Drew Brees played until they were 41 years old.
Adam Vinatieri and Morten Andersen both played until they were 47 years old.
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Jerry Rice and Darrell Green played until they were 42 years old.
Philip Rivers last season came out of retirement and played a few games at the age of 44.
But none of these guys were defensive linemen. In fact, Campbell will become the oldest defensive lineman in the NFL.
Calais Campbell poses with the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award during the NFL Honors at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Ariz., on Feb. 9, 2023. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Do you know who was the oldest defensive player in the NFL last season? Campbell at the age of 39.
Defensive linemen suffer perhaps the steepest aging curve of all positions because of their toughness and vulnerability to injury. So the expectation is that Campbell won’t be asked to contribute 70 snaps per game like younger players are, but rather he’ll be limited to a dozen or so snaps per game.
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This is impressive though and surprising. Including Campbell.
This is because last season when the games were wrapped up Campbell was asked what his last season would be.
“I would be surprised if it wasn’t,” he said.
It wasn’t like that.
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