So we say goodbye to Calais Campbell a second time.

I was fortunate enough to sit down with Calais the final week of the season, for a video we wanted to work on. The idea, regardless of what happened with Campbell in 2026, was that he had come full circle, from leaving after nine years with the Cardinals, spending time elsewhere, and then coming back to get a little closure. The idea, of course, was to have him mentor a young defensive line for a team that was expected to push for the postseason. Unfortunately that didn't happen.

But Calais had a good season, and he knew it. He has talked about retirement before each of his last few seasons in the NFL, and last year was no different. I remember him standing in the Denver heat last preseason after practice with the Cardinals and Broncos, saying he thought he'd retire after the season, but he didn't know.

Then, late last season, he reiterated he didn't know if he'd play or not.

But when he talked about playing well enough to give himself an option to play another season, that teams would want him. He might still step away, but it's always good to be wanted. Besides, when you listened to Calais talk on the subject, I never once got the impression -- regardless of what he was saying -- that he really wanted to retire.

So here we are. Calais did not retire. (We had a cool shot of him walking away back toward the practice facility from the interview we did on the field; would have worked nicely had he said goodbye to playing. But alas.) He did not come back to Arizona. He signed with the Ravens, another of his ex-teams, and after Monti Ossenfort said it was "wait and see" with Campbell after the draft, I'm guessing Campbell -- like last offseason -- had choices with where to go, and he made the pick he felt was right for him.

"There were some other teams that were interested, and Arizona was one of them," Campbell told baltimoreravens.com. "This year there was a lot more pressure (to pick) than in years past."

Regardless, he remains a Cardinals legend. He was fantastic last season for a guy who was 39. I'm happy he'll get a chance to break Jim Marshall's NFL record for most games played by a defensive lineman. (He'll get there in his fourth appearance.) It's crazy to think he's still playing at age 40. At that position?

But his legacy has been made in Arizona regardless. A decade of excellent play. A fun reunion, even if it wasn't a walkoff. And it's hard to believe that at some point, he's not back at State Farm Stadium, getting his due in the Ring of Honor. He was that guy when he was here.