'He Came For a Reason': Falcons DL Grady Jarrett Praises Calais Campbell

Veteran defense end Calais Campbell signed a one-year $7 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in March.

Atlanta Falcons recent addition Calais Campbell has received immense praise since signing a one-year, $7 million deal this offseason. 

A six-time Pro Bowler over his 16-year career, Campbell not only brings a decorated resume, but also a proven track record as a leader on and off the field. 

"The first thing you see is the size and that deep voice," defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said, dropping his tone to emulate Campbell. "But he'll bring great leadership, great experience and somebody who came to a team that he believed in, because he's at the point in his career (where) you want to go to a team that's going to win. He came for a reason; he believes in the team, and that means a lot to me and to the other guys, as well."

Following a three-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens - receiving a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 - where he racked up 11 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 36 quarterback hits, the future Hall-of-Famer entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. 

While he could he have re-signed in Baltimore, a team many expect to contend to be a contender in the AFC, Campbell instead opted to join Atlanta - crediting what is being built following its back-to-back 7-10 campaigns. 

"When you're dealing with someone like Calais who's had as much success as he's had, he had a lot of options to do the things he wanted to do in free agency," Jarrett said. "To come to a place like Atlanta where, from the outside looking in, people don't believe in us, this and that - we believe in us, but to have someone from the outside believe in us, that feels good."

Jarrett, 30, believes the addition of Campbell can help achieve that. 

"For the longest, I've been the oldest guy in the room," Jarrett said, laughing. "I don't consider myself old, so to have that big vet in the room, it means a lot. Now, I can lean on somebody to learn more, be directed, somebody holding me to a certain standard, so that's just going to make me better."

Jarrett and Campbell look to lead the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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