A reunion with Calais Campbell won’t be happening after all for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The massive defensive lineman, who was once a three-time Pro Bowler in as many years with the Jaguars, has opted instead to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Campbell made Atlanta the first stop on his free agency tour, but spent the next day with the Jaguars. After leaving Jacksonville without a contract last week, Campbell reportedly drew additional interest from the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Detroit Lions.
The decision to sign with the Falcons is a relatively surprising one as the 36-year-old lineman may be choosing his last NFL team and presumptions were that he’d like to be with a team competing for a Super Bowl. Atlanta seems, on paper, to be the furthest from that goal among the teams that showed interest in Campbell.
While Campbell left TIAA Bank Field without signing, both coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke expressed optimism that a deal could still happen with the lineman.
During his three-year stint with the Jaguars from 2017 to 2019, Campbell recorded 31.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 44 tackles for loss.
