The Miami Dolphins have a chance to reach the playoffs Sunday, but the likelier scenario is that their season will end, regardless of their result against the New York Jets in Week 18.
And for Calais Campbell, that could mean the end of a special career.
“I try not to make decisions during the season,” Campbell said of retirement Thursday. “I try to wait till the offseason to kind of really put myself in that, and I do feel like there’s a chance I could play again. I know that it’s not 100 percent or I’m definitely going to be done, but I have to treat this like it could be my last game.
“That’s a pretty strong emotional feeling there. As much as I love this game, as much as I’ve given this game, the fact that this could be the last one is kind of crazy. But I’m going to go out there and play with all my heart and try to finish with a bang.”
Campbell, 38, is one the oldest players in the NFL and is wrapping his 17th season in the NFL. The veteran has hardly lost a step, though.
In his first season with the Dolphins, Campbell has recorded four sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and five tipped passes. His 82.7 grade on Pro Football Focus leads all players on the Miami defense, and ranks seventh among all defensive linemen in the NFL.
When Campbell eventually becomes Hall of Fame eligible, it shouldn’t take long for him to be eventually enshrined in Canton. For now, though, he’s trying to appreciate however much time he has left in the NFL.
“This is not my first time feeling that way,” Campbell said. “So it doesn’t mean I’m definitely going to retire, but definitely you have to have that mindset because at the end of the day, I don’t know. And I want to make sure that if this is my last game that I make it worthwhile.”
Campbell was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. At the end of his rookie season, Campbell played in Super Bowl XLIII, but the Cardinals came up short in a 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Campbell has played in 11 playoff games since, he hasn’t played in another Super Bowl.
