Stay or Go? Calais Campbell’s Future is His Call

The Arizona Cardinals's top defensive lineman has the ball in his court.

Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) stands on the field prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Our stay-or-go series for pending Arizona Cardinals free agents this offseason continues with fan favorite and franchise legend Calais Campbell.

If you missed on any of Jonah Williams, Jalen Thompson or Justin Jones you can click on their respective names.

Campbell's presence feels like a rare instance where rather than the organization dictating a player's presence on the roster, the free agent has the ball in his court.

Such is life when you're Campbell, a player that could walk into any facility and command the highest of respects after spending 18 years in the league.

Campbell inked a one-year deal to return to Arizona last offseason after initially spending the first nine years of his career in the desert. Both parties insisted it was just a homecoming, Campbell was here to help win football games.

And though the Cardinals went just 3-14, Campbell surely held up his end of the deal — starting all 17 games for Arizona and amassing 6.5 sacks on top of 43 tackles and two passes defensed.

Doing so on 46% of snaps, at the age of 39, was fantastic.

Yet the real value in Campbell's presence comes in the locker room and meeting rooms, where his vast experience and knowledge of the game molds him to become an ideal mentor not just for fellow defensive linemen but rather the whole team.

The production and wisdom of Campbell would surely be welcome back for Arizona on any given reasonable contract. Arizona has a projected $42 million in salary cap space approaching this offseason and could easily generate more, so money isn't an issue when it comes to Campbell.

Yet with Campbell potentially eying retirement, it feels like this decision does rest on his shoulders. And should Campbell want to go chase a Super Bowl for one last ride elsewhere, I'm sure the Cardinals would be quite understanding.

Campbell clearly can still play at high levels (in spurts), and the return of defensive coordinator Nick Rallis bodes well for a potential vote of confidence in the door being open for Campbell.

As for an official prediction, it feels tough as Campbell could truly sway one way or another. Yet at his age, love for the Cardinals and Arizona clearly not being in a position to fight for a Lombardi trophy in 2026, Campbell understandably opts to hang it up while he's still healthy.