Calais Campbell is back in South Florida, this time hunting the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him through 17 seasons in the NFL.
Campbell, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive end, signed with Miami on June 13. The former Miami Hurricane is excited to be back in Miami-Dade County, and the Dolphins’ Super Bowl expectations are a large part of why he inked a deal for an undisclosed amount.
“I feel like there’s a really good opportunity here,” Campbell said. “Very talented team all over the field, both offense and defense. I mean, when you go through the roster and who you have, I just see so many people that I feel like we can really play together and really build that team chemistry you need and be a force to reckon with … I won’t go too crazy but it’s going to be a really good defense.”
A decorated pass-rusher, Campbell appeared in every game for Atlanta last year. It was his first time playing a full season since 2019. He posted 6.5 sacks and 49 total tackles, also his highest mark since 2019. He adds a valuable veteran presence to a Dolphin defense that was riddled with injuries last year. The 37-year-old still feels like he is able to compete at a high level after considering whether or not to retire.
“I thought about [retiring],” he said. “I don’t think I thought about it very long though. … If you’re playing football at a high level, why not do it one more time? Just going through that process and trying to figure out if I really want to do it. It really just came down to just with the family, talking to the wife and kids. … And it really came down to, do I want to go through the process of what it takes to be good again.”
