After dealing with a family tragedy this summer, Calais Campbell enters his 19th NFL season feeling his mind and body are in the right place to play at the level he expects.
"These last couple of months have been pretty tough for me and my family," Campbell said Tuesday during his first media session since the death of his mother, Nateal Cambell, on June 30.
"We're working through it. I really appreciate all the love and support and the prayers that have been coming from all the NFL community, all the fan bases. I appreciate the prayers. Keep praying for us because we need it."
The 39-year-old Campbell took some time off at the beginning of training camp and has been ramping back up into action.
"I've worked really hard. I feel really good about where I'm at," Campbell said. "Practices have been going really well. I really like where I'm at right now. The coaches did a really good job of letting me ease in. September can't come soon enough."
Campbell was also asked about whether he considered not playing football this year given his family tragedy.
"I love the game of football a lot," he said. "It brings me joy. The training was adjusted a little bit. But as far as football goes, it's a fun place to be. Playing football has been great for me."
Campbell needs just five games played to break Jim Marshall's all-time record of 282 games for a defensive lineman, and enters the season ranked 25th on the league's all-time sack list with 117. In 2025, Campbell had 6.5 sacks, 43 tackles and 16 quarterback hits for the Arizona Cardinals, and he's thrilled to be back in Baltimore, where he spent three enjoyable seasons from 2020-22.
Head Coach Jesse Minter is glad to have Campbell's presence back in the building.
"A tremendous leader, but a really good football player that will add a lot in normal downs, third downs, brings great versatility along the D-line," Minter said. "Really happy that we have him."
Center Competition Heating Up
Danny Pinter started the preseason opener, but he wasn't the only center who made a positive impression.
Minter praised Jovaughn Gwyn for his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pinter, Gwyn, and Ethan Pocic are competing to be the Week 1 starter.
"It's about how you play, and I thought he played really well," Minter said of Gwyn. "He'll continue to get some opportunities. I thought that was a really good showing for him. Kind of what we thought it would be and it showed up on tape.
"A big week for that whole position I would say, for the joint practices and also another game. Look forward to that competition continuing."
Pocic suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Dec. 7 that ended his 2025 season with the Cleveland Browns. However, Pocic remains in the mix and could get more reps as the coaching staff moves closer to a decision.
"There will be opportunities in these joint practices, opportunities in the next two games," Minter said. "I really think that will shake itself out over the next 10 days to two weeks with all those guys getting a really good opportunity to play against really good players both in practice and in the games."
Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey Will Get Joint Practice Reps
Starting cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey returned to practice Monday after suffering injuries last week, and Minter said they would see reps in this week's joint practices.
"They may be on a little bit of a rep count, but they will be out there getting really good work in," Minter said.
The Ravens are scheduled for joint workouts against the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday before Saturday's preseason game in Minnesota. They'll go against one of the top wide receiver trios in the league with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings.
Nate Wiggins will have his hands full with Justin Jefferson, while Trey Hendrickson will face a healthy Christian Darrisaw.
CB Nate Wiggins vs. WR Justin Jefferson: Jefferson had a trying 2025 season. His target share was still sky-high, but he tallied 17-game lows in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Even so, Jefferson is one of the league's most electric wideouts, and Wiggins, who returned to practice on Monday, will still face him despite returning from a lower-leg injury on Monday. The Ravens believe Wiggins can emerge as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this season, and a matchup against Jefferson is a good measuring stick.
OLB Trey Hendrickson vs. T Christian Darrisaw: When healthy, Hendrickson and Darrisaw are some of the league's best players at their respective positions. Both players have suffered season-ending injuries within the past two seasons, but they've looked healthy and have played well this offseason, making this one of the premier matchups of any joint practice across the NFL.
Ravens defense vs. QB Kyler Murray: A former No. 1 overall pick, Murray is trying to revitalize his career with the Vikings after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Recently named the Vikings' starter, Murray only quarterbacked one series in Minnesota's preseason opener. The speedster will face his toughest test of the summer against a Ravens defense aiming to get back to being one of the NFL's best.
G Vega Ioane vs. DL Caleb Banks: Both rookies filled dire positional needs, but Ioane has played like a seasoned veteran while Banks is still working his way back from a foot injury that limited him to just three games at Florida last season. After a solid outing in his preseason debut against the Philadelphia Eagles, albeit a short one, Ioane has another chance to prove his readiness against a fellow first-round pick selected just four spots later at No. 18 overall.
Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle vs. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores: There's a wide gap in experience between Doyle, a 29-year-old first-time play caller, and Flores, who's 16 years older, coached in the NFL since 2008, and is known for an exotic heavy blitz scheme that makes him one of the league's most respected coordinators. Doyle's offense will have its work cut out for it in Minnesota, where the Vikings have had one of the league's top defenses since Flores' arrival in 2023. It's also a good chance for Doyle to practice his playcalling against one of the league's best on the other side.
Minter Holds Fond Memories of O.J. Brigance
The Ravens organization continues to mourn the loss of legend O.J. Brigance, who battled ALS for 19 years.
When Minter was a defensive assistant with the Ravens (2017-20), he started a friendship with Brigance that had a lasting impact.
"When I first got hired here, he sent me an email and then we sort of started exchanging some emails," Minter said. "The wisdom, the strength that guy showed, he's like everything that you want this organization to be about. He's impacted this place honestly maybe as much as anybody.
"When you feel like you're having a bad day, you're dealing with something, take a look at the mindset that he really attacked his adversity with. Adversity might not even be the right word, I don't think he looked at it like that…he was able to impact the organization still."
