Campbell's Season with Dolphins Gets Documentary Treatment

If this indeed ends up that the 2024 season was the final one in Calais Campbell's brilliant NFL career, he will have gone out in style.

And it just so happen there were NFL Films cameras around for this ride with the Miami Dolphins.

The product was an NFL Films documentary entitled "A Season with Calais Campbell" that will premier on FSI on Wednesday at 11 p.m.

One of the NFL's great iron men faces a crossroads.#NFLFilmsPresents: A Season with @CalaisCampbell
- tonight 11pm ET on @FS1 pic.twitter.com/o7IBHn2k3b
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 22, 2025

Among the most noticeable shots in the trailer, and perhaps the most significant as it pertains to Campbell's current situation involved defensive lineman Zach Sieler telling Campbell to "take in the moment" after the Dolphins season ended at MetLife Stadium with a 32-20 loss against the New York Jets — and Campbell proceeding to do just that, looking around the stadium and taking in the scene perhaps for the last time.

Campbell's commentary in the trailer included this gem: "I want to be remembered as a guy who loved the game, who loved the game so much that he gave everything he could to the game. And he played this game in a way that made the ghosts of the greats of the game proud."

CAMPBELL'S GREAT 2024 AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Campbell's 2024 season after the Dolphins signed him to a dirt-cheap contract for a player of his accomplishments was one he should cherish from a personal standpoint, although it came up short — way short — in his quest to pursue a championship.

It's absolutely no stretch to say that Campbell gave the Dolphins more this season than they had any right to expect from a player who turned 38 a little more than a week before things kicked off against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium.

Campbell played well enough that several teams around the league wanted to acquire him at the NFL Trade Deadline, thinking the Dolphins would be willing to let him chase a ring while they were floundering with a 2-6 record.

The Dolphins decided to hang on to Campbell, confident they could make a second-half push, which is exactly what they did.

Through it all, Campbell was a force for the defensive line alongside Sieler, the team MVP, and he also became a captain in his first season with the team.

"What he added to this organization in this year was incredible," GM Chris Grier said during the end-of-season press conference. "An incredible human being, just his longevity and what he’s been able to do as a player at his age for this long is almost unheard of. Every day how he approaches it, his professionalism, it’s just hard to put into words unless you’re around him. He’s got an infectious personality, he loves ball. He loves his teammates. He wants to invest in players and teach them and pass on the knowledge. I don’t want to speak for him, but he’s indicated that if he does decide to play that he loved his time here and we would be a very strong consideration to come back if he decides to play again, and we would welcome him back with open arms.”

The question, of course, is whether Campbell wants to continue playing and also whether it'll be the Dolphins who are able to sign him.

Campbell will be an unrestricted free agent when the league year kicks off March 12, unless the Dolphins sign him to an extension before then. Campbell has said he wants to give himself a little time before deciding whether to come back for an 18th NFL season.

For now, it's worth revisiting his very impressive 17th season.