Calais Campbell Talks Mentoring Cardinals’ Young Stars: ‘No Point for Me to Die With All This Knowledge’

Back where his NFL journey began, the veteran defensive lineman says it’s now about sharing wisdom, not chasing stats.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws as Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell (93) pursues during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Glendale, Ariz., Aug. 24, 2014. Rick Scuteri/AP Photo

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell wants to share his knowledge with the younger generation.

The 38-year-old Campbell is back with the team that drafted him in 2008. He and nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson are the elder statesmen of the Cardinals’ defensive line room, and mentors to 2025 first-round draft pick defensive end Walter Nolen III. At a press conference at Cardinals OTAs on Thursday, Campbell said he takes his mentorship role seriously.

Campbell was asked a question about mentorship in reference to Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, who said he preferred to lead by example rather than mentor the Browns’ young quarterbacks.

“I think he’s a mentor by trade,” Campbell said of the 18-year veteran QB. “I mean you’re [in year] 18 and you got a lot of knowledge, people are going to come to you for things, so you’re naturally a mentor, whether you want to be or not. Now, how good of a mentor I guess you want to be is based off how much time and effort you’re going to give to the kids, or younger players.”

Campbell visibly reacted to himself using the word “kids,” pointing out that the 21-year-old Nolen is closer to his oldest son’s age than his own. He then turned his focus from other players to himself.

“I take being a mentor with a lot of honor,” he said. “I enjoy passing knowledge. I feel like there’s no point for me to die with all this knowledge, go to the graveyard, or whatever, in my career with all this knowledge. I have to share it with as many people as possible, and especially people that are going to help us win ball games.

“So I’m going to help all the young guys as much as possible, and if I help them to a level where they’re better than me, then the team is better, and I find my role and make it work. But that’s the goal. I would like to help these guys be the best players they can be ... that’s just football.”

Campbell was drafted out of Miami by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He sat behind veterans Darnell Dockett and Antonio Smith during his rookie season, then moved up to a starting position in 2009. He had his best season as a Cardinal in 2011, with 72 total tackles and eight sacks, with 10 passes defended and an interception. He played his first nine seasons with Arizona before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. He had 67 total tackles and a career-high 14.5 sacks that year; he followed it up with another 72-tackle season and 10.5 sacks in 2018.

He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2020. He spent three seasons with the Ravens before being cut in the 2023 offseason. He signed one-year deals with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and the Miami Dolphins in 2024 before returning to the Cardinals. In his 17 seasons, Campbell played 261 career games with 241 starts. He has 917 total tackles, 110.5 sacks, three safeties forced, 63 passes defended, three interceptions, 18 forced fumbles, 13 recoveries, and three defensive touchdowns.

Campbell and 8-year pro Dalvin Tomlinson are the veterans of a defensive line room with two first-round picks: Nolen and 2024 first-round pick defensive end Darius Robinson. The Cardinals have Bilal Nichols, P.J. Mustipher, and 2025 undrafted free agent Elijah Simmons on the depth chart at nose tackle. Justin Jones, L.J. Collier, Dante Stills, Anthony Goodlow, and UDFA Patrick Jenkins round out the depth chart at defensive tackle.

At his own press conference Monday, Nolen said that being around veterans like Campbell and Tomlinson is helping him grow. “I feel like a pro, but [they are] all my uncles man,” Nolen said. “They [are] all older than me, so I’m just in there learning every day,” he said.

“I feel like they [are] going to take me to where I need to get, especially [since] they [are] on the back end of their career[s], so I feel like they put me in the spot that where they wish they were at,” he added.

Nolen said the main things he is learning are how to take care of his body, eating habits, and daily routines, taking extra time in the cold tub, and standing in the sun in the team’s training room.