The Baltimore Ravens found themselves as an early exit from the playoffs following a 10-7 record during the 2022 season. They lost 24-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, and now enter an offseason of questions.
In comments made during the team’s end-of-season media availability, defensive lineman Calais Campbell touched on the subject of a potential return to the Charm City in 2023. Asked about his thought process in making a decision, Campbell made it clear that he’d be prioritizing playing for the most competitive team possible while also gauging his desire to play at all.
“I want to be a part of a great team. It’s not really part of my process though. I think that my process is going to be individual and just like how I feel when I have to go through and get prepared. This is not easy, coming out here and playing at a high level. It takes a lot of work, a lot of time and effort. So, it’s just that whole process and figuring out if I want to do that again. That’s going to really be the biggest thing, and just having that conversation with my family and my support team and we’ll go from there. I do want to be a part of a winning [team]; I want to have a chance to win it all. That definitely is a big part of it. I think that Lamar [Jackson] gives this team the best chance to win it all, but the front office knows that, too. It’s not like I’m saying anything news breaking or anything. He’s a special talent.”
While Campbell will certainly have some important decisions to make over the coming months, his comments seemed to imply a willingness to return to Baltimore if the Ravens can hammer out an extension for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Time will tell whether the team can become a legitimate contender in 2023, but Campbell’s steady presence on their defensive line wouldn’t hurt their effort to make a Super Bowl run next season.