Former Ravens DL Embracing Mentor Role With Cardinals

A former Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman is making the twilight of his career count.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell holds his helmet during minicamp. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With the amount of hits the average defensive lineman takes year in and year out, most of them could only dream of playing nearly two decades in the NFL. Former Baltimore Ravens star Calais Campbell is not like most defensive linemen, however.

Campbell, 38, is entering his 18th NFL season and first back with the Arizona Cardinals, the team that drafted him in 2008 and the one he spent his first nine seasons with. Even in his late 30s, Campbell, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, still feels that he can dominate games, albeit with a more limited snap count.

What he's really looking forward to, however, is mentoring his younger teammates. Not every veteran enjoys the mentor role, but Campbell views it as a "honor."

"I enjoy passing knowledge," Campbell said, per the Cardinals' website. "I feel there is no point for me to die with all this knowledge, to the graveyard at the end of my career. I have to share with as many people as possible. Especially people that are going to help us win ballgames."

"If I help them to a level that's better than me, then the team is better and I will find my role and make it work."

The Cardinals have spent a first-round pick on a defensive lineman in each of the past two drafts, selecting Darius Robinson in 2024 and Walter Nolen III in 2025. As they look to establish themselves at the NFL level, there's no better role model on and off the field for them than Campbell.

The fact that he gets a chance to be a mentor with the Cardinals makes the opportunity doubly special for him.

"This is where I learned how to be an NFL football player," he said.

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