Nine years ago, the
Arizona Cardinals made a mistake that would come to help define the end of the Bruce Arians era. After the 2016 season, they let Calais Campbell — a rare homegrown All-Pro star on the defensive line — depart for Jacksonville. As Campbell went on to reach four consecutive Pro Bowls, the Cardinals' plan to replace him with Robert Nkemdiche at a lower price fell flat on its face. Now, with a new regime in charge, Campbell is back. Tuesday, the team announced a one-year deal to bring back its former star, who is now 38 and entering his 18th season. He was drafted by the Cardinals with the 50th pick in 2008, helping the franchise reach its only Super Bowl in his rookie season. By reuniting with Campbell, the Cardinals continued to overhaul their defensive line, turning a unit that was a significant weakness a year ago into a potential strength in 2025. Their top five interior linemen on the current depth chart are Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, Darius Robinson, Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols. Campbell and Tomlinson were not on the roster last season; the other three were each limited to six games or fewer by injury. In some ways, Campbell is not the explosive player he once was. He hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2020 or been named an All-Pro since 2017. He played just 57.8% of defensive snaps last season, down from a peak in which he regularly played over 75% — though that’s partly due to league-wide trends with defensive line usage. He’s also less effective than he once was rushing the passer. His pressure rate in 2024 was 9.7%. At his peak, in 2019, it was 14.0%.
Calais Campbell brings Cardinals added draft options
Still, Campbell’s addition is a significant boost for Arizona’s defense. Despite his lower pressure rate, he notched five sacks and 12 tackles for loss with the Dolphins last season. The year before, he had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss with the Falcons. Nobody else on the Cardinals’ interior is capable of getting home at that rate, not even Tomlinson. The move also further entrenches a point general manager Monti Ossenfort made at this week’s owners meetings in Florida. “I feel like we're in a spot that ... really opens us up to be able to take the best player,” Ossenfort said via the Cardinals team website. “There isn't one spot where we are like, 'We have to have that at 16 because we have to have someone immediately go in there.'” It’s still possible that the Cardinals will take a defensive lineman in the first round. Among their current group, only Robinson is young and under team control for more than two years. But they do not have to aggressively target the position. In the short term, Campbell also fills a slightly different role in the defense from that of Tomlinson. He almost exclusively aligned as 3-technique last season, while Tomlinson is more versatile and can play nose tackle, where he will likely have a significant role with the Cardinals. Robinson, a first-round pick last season, also has versatility, with the ability to play as a 3-technique or an edge rusher. By adding Campbell, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis can now use those two in more diverse ways.
Arizona Cardinals can win against the run
But perhaps the most significant boost from acquiring Campbell will come in the run game. Last season, Campbell led all interior defenders with an 85.9 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus. Based on PFF’s grading, it was his best season against the run since 2019, though he has remained remarkably consistent in that area. That should fit well with the skill sets possessed by the rest of the Cardinals’ defensive line. In particular, Tomlinson’s best skill is his ability to generate pressure. Robinson, too, profiles as more of a pass rusher, although he struggled for consistency in that area during his limited appearances as a rookie. A year ago, the Cardinals ranked 25th in the NFL, allowing 4.6 yards per carry. Their 30% run stop win rate, per ESPN, placed 20th. There was only so much magic that Rallis could conjure. With Campbell, the equation should be different. Their overhauled defensive line is now in position to be a strength.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
