Calais Campbell Believes The Baltimore Ravens Have What It Takes To Win Now

After spending nearly two decades in the NFL, recently signed Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell has been around the block more times than most. The soon-to-be 40-year-old is heading into his 19th season and knows that often times, the stars have to almost perfectly align for a team to go on a run, just make the Super Bowl, let alone win the game's ultimate prize.

Originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round all the way back in 2008 out of the University of Miami, Campbell made it to the Super Bowl as a rookie and hasn't been back since, with any of the other four times he has played for over the last decade.

The closest he has gotten was a pair of conference title game appearances in 2015 with the Cardinals and his first year with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. At this stage of his career, he isn't chasing a ring but is still playing because he loves the game so much.

However, he still. desires to play for a team built to consistently win games and at least get a shot at making a run, because without a ticket to the dance, there's no real chance of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"My mindset isn't about 'I have to win a Super Bowl' but I would like a team that is going to win ball games and have a chance at the end," Campbell said in a recent appearance on 'The Lounge' podcast. "I believe this [Ravens] team has all the tools to win. If you play good football, you're going to win more than you lose."

Being a meaningful contributor on a team that is poised to play meaningful games deep into January is something he is confident will come to fruition in Baltimore, given all the returning talent and new pieces the Ravens and general manager Eric DeCosta have made via free agency and the NFL Draft.

"The roster is stacked to the roof," Campbell said. "It's going to be one of the best rosters in football, if not the best roster in football."

In addition to him, the Ravens' other notable offseason additions on both sides of the ball include four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, 2025 breakout safety Jaylinn Hawkins, bringing back veteran guard John Simpson, first-round rookie guard Olaivavega Ioane, a steal of a second-round pick in rookie Zion Young and a host of other young talent.

These new pieces join a loaded roster that already featured several All Pros and multi-time Pro Bowlers such as two-time league MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, nose tackle Travis Jones and possibly defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, assuming his recovery from neck surgery goes smoothly.

Looking forward to reuniting with familiar faces

Sep 25, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell (93) attempts to tackle New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

During Campbell's first stint with the Ravens from 2020-22, he was not only a veteran mentor to several young players on both sides of the ball, but he was also the anchor and premier difference-maker on the interior of their defensive line.

One player he worked especially closely with and helped groom was Madubuike, who went from an ascending young talent during their time together to blossoming into one of the most disruptive and destructive forces in the league in the years since, when he's been healthy.

In his first season without Campbell in 2023, Madubuike broke out in a big way in a contract year, leading the Ravens and all interior defensive linemen in the league with a career high 13 sacks. Despite getting star treatment in 2024 with regular double and triple teams, he still managed to record 6.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. He was off to another torrid start last season with a sack in each of the first two games before getting sidelined for the remainder of the year with a serious neck injury.

Now that Madubuike is slated to return to action, according to reports from his doctors, Campbell is excited to be the beneficiary of someone else getting the bulk of the attention from opposing offensive lines for a change.

"[Madubuike is] going to get all the double teams," Campbell said with a chuckle. "I'm training like alright I got to take advantage of my one-on-ones, I gotta take advantage of it. So it's great motivation but that plays a big role."

The 18-year veteran is also really excited to play under new head coach Jesse Minter, who will be calling the Ravens defensive plays, and he thinks he is a "very brilliant football mind." Their initial stints in Baltimore briefly overlapped in 2020 when Minter was serving as the defensive backs coach before going to call plays at the college ranks for a few years, then most recently did the same with the Los Angeles Chargers the past two years.

In Baltimore, Campbell will also be reunited with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who was his position coach with the Ravens for two seasons and called plays for the Miami Dolphins during their time together in 2024.

"We had a really good conversation," Campbell said. "It went the way I expected it to go because that's my guy. And just talking through how he sees things, just the structure of the defense, where the strengths are, the depth... how he sees me adding value just made a lot of sense."

While he doesn't anticipate being needed to play the bulk of the team's total defensive snaps week in and week out, Campbell is confident in his ability to help the Ravens play their best when their best is required. It is a sentiment that Minter has reiterated throughout the offseason since being hired to replace long-time head coach John Harbaugh, whose team's struggles to close out games played a huge factor in his dismissal at the end of a nearly 20-year tenure at the helm.

"When the game's on the line in the fourth quarter in a two-minute situation, I like myself," Campbell said. "I don't care who it is, Will Anderson, all the best of them. [When] the game's on the line, I like myself."

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