Calais Campbell Explains Why He Chose Ravens Over Cardinals

On Wednesday, four-time All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens worth $5.5 million.

The defensive end position has been a priority this offseason for general manager Eric DeCosta, who considered trading for Maxx Crosby in addition to signing Trey Hendrickson in free agency. The Ravens backed out of the trade for Crosby, but drafted defensive end Zion Young in the second round.

New head coach Jesse Minter needs pass-rushers for his defense, and Campbell, a four-time All-Pro with 117 career sacks, could be a piece that helps put the Ravens over the edge this season.

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Or at least, Campbell hopes so.

During an appearance on “The Ravens Lounge” on Wednesday, Campbell said DeCosta tried to persuade the defensive end to join the Ravens in previous offseasons, and he chose Baltimore over returning to the Arizona Cardinals or going to another league team because he wants the opportunity to win a Super Bowl.

"When I decided I was wanting to play again–this year was a lot more pressure than it has been in years past,” Campbell said. “Eric DeCosta called pretty much every year, but this year was more like, ‘I gotta have you, you know? Like, this is gonna make a big difference.’ And I felt that, you know?”

Campbell, 39, played for the Ravens from 2020 to 2022. He knows winning a Super Bowl with the Ravens isn’t guaranteed this season, but believes the team has enough talent to win enough games to have a “chance.”

"Well, first, I just love the game and I want to keep playing football, right?” he said. “I want to have fun playing football. Well, the number one way of having fun and playing football is making plays and winning games, right?

“That’s the most fun, playing football. And so for me, where can I go where I can make plays and win games? And Baltimore made the most sense when it came down to that.”

The Ravens defense should be much better for having Campbell join. He started in 17 games for the Cardinals last season, recording 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two passes defensed.

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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 5:58 PM.