Calais Campbell to sign with Ravens for 19th NFL season

• Campbell, who previously played for the Ravens from 2020-22, is entering his 19th NFL season.
• He will rejoin a defensive line that includes Nnamdi Madubuike and will play under new coach Jesse Minter.

Year 19 in the NFL will return Calais Campbell to a familiar setting.

The six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman is signing a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, according to multiple reports on Thursday, April 30.

Campbell, 39, played for the Ravens from 2020-22. He overlapped with new Ravens coach Jesse Minter in his first season, during which Campbell earned a Pro Bowl nod while Minter served as defensive backs coach. Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver also served as Campbell's defensive line coach from 2021-22.

Campbell has played on a series of one-year contracts since departing Baltimore, playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals, all of whom missed the playoffs in their respective seasons with the defensive lineman. In 2025, he logged 6 1/2 sacks for an injury-ravaged defense that pinned more on him than initially planned upon his signing.

Long touted by teammates as one of the NFL's premier leaders, Campbell could help Minter's defensive vision take form in the coach's first year at the helm. He will further fortify a defensive line that is also set to return two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who ESPN reported underwent neck surgery earlier in April that could allow him to play for the first time since Week 2 of last season.

By signing Campbell this week, the addition will not count against the compensatory draft pick formula for 2027. Baltimore, which has consistently maneuvered the system to gain additional draft capital, could be in line to receive assistance on that front. The Ravens lost center Tyler Linderbaum (Las Vegas Raiders) and tight end Isaiah Likely (New York Giants) to sizable deals, though the team engineered its own marquee signing in edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.