Is this Calais Campbell's final season? Maybe not
Arizona Cardinals defensive Calais Campbell turns 39 on Sept. 1, and he is entering the 18th season of his career in the city where it all began in 2008.
Naturally, many wonder if this will be the final go-round for Campbell. So it was that after the joint practice between the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos Thursday that he was asked point-blank, 'Is this your last year?'
Campbell said, 'I mean (pausing), I will be very surprised if it's not. But I try not to think about the future; just stay present.'
Campbell then repeated, 'I'll be very surprised if it's not.'
Many media outlets have ran with that comment. However, that totally ignores what he said later at the end of his media session.
When a reporter asked, 'With this potentially being your last year, when and why did you decide that this might be it for you?'
Campbell laughed and somewhat hedged when he then said, 'I don't know. I haven't really decided that. It's just kinda like ... the nature.'
He further explained, 'I felt this way ... I felt that the last year was likely the last couple years. So I will put that disclaimer out there. Like, last year at this time I felt the exact same way I feel right now.
'So, you never know. I love the game with all my heart and I feel like it would be cheating the game if I tried to look forward. I got to stay present, stay in the moment and just give it everything I can right now.'
He will do that, so who knows? It is possible he will be on the field next year at this time, not many days until he turns 40.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
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