Calais Campbell Gets Honest on Failed Cardinals Homecoming

The Arizona Cardinals' defensive lineman was surprised how things went.

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

Homecoming ended early for Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell.

The Cardinals were expected to potentially be dancing in the 2025 postseason before failing to do so in near epic proportions, winning just one of their final 15 games after starting the season 2-0. Campbell, signed as a free agent to the team who initially drafted him nearly two decades ago, was expected to play a big role in helping officially turn the Cardinals around.

The defensive end did his part, talling 6.5 sacks on limited snaps and flashing some juice still left in the tank – though that tank is now rolling elsewhere.

Despite Arizona's interest in bringing him back, Campbell inked a deal with the Baltimore Ravens to play in 2026.

When doing an interview with the Ravens' official team site, Campbell quickly reflected back on his time with Arizona:

"Going to Arizona last year, which really made a lot of sense for me too. That's where I got drafted and I was there for so long. I really felt like I could help make the team a better team, so it made a lot of sense," Campbell said.

"Things didn't work out like I thought they would though. It was definitely a different year than I thought it would be. It was kind of surprising, honestly. I'm like, dang, am I not getting good at predicting things? I used to be pretty good at this. ... I thought we were going to be [really good], we had a lot of injuries."

Campbell was fairly clear in what he wanted out of a potential team — which was a chance to compete for a Super Bowl, something the Ravens have while the Cardinals clearly are further behind.

"There were some other teams that were interested. Arizona was one of them. I do have a lot of family presence in Arizona. A lot of them were like, 'Why would you leave? That doesn't guarantee you're going to win a Super Bowl if you go to the Ravens.' And I'm like yeah, I understand that.

"I'm at a place right now in my mindset where you can't control that. Everybody who wants to win a Super Bowl this year, a lot of things have to go right for you to have a chance."

With the NFL schedule release upcoming, it's notable the Cardinals and Ravens don't play each other in 2026.