NFL Free Agency: Will Falcons Re-Sign Calais Campbell?

Calais Campbell is a free agent after leading the Atlanta Falcons in sacks.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 14, 2024

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons shocked many a year ago when they signed veteran defensive end Calais Campbell in free agency.

Campbell, 37, picked the Falcons over several more established contenders because he liked how Atlanta was growing. But Campbell only signed a one-year contract, which begs the question ... will he be back?

"In his 16th season in the NFL, Campbell tied for the team lead in sacks with 6 1/2, his highest total since the 2019 season," The Athletic writes. "That helped him surpass the 100-sack mark for his career. He now has 105 1/2. After signing a one-year free-agency deal, Campbell started all 17 games and contributed to a significant turnaround in the Falcons’ defensive fortunes. He finished the season playing at a high level and said he would like to play at least another year in the league if the circumstances are right. His chances of returning to Atlanta went down with defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s move to Jacksonville after the season."

Nielsen's departure to Jacksonville makes Campbell a candidate to return to the Jaguars, where he played from 2017-19. That being said, another season in Atlanta isn't out of the question.

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“The last time I talked to Terry [Fontenot], he told me to let him know when I know,” Campbell said via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He was definitely eager to get me back if I want to play football again, but he was going to respect my process and let me go through it the way I go through it.”

NFL free agency begins on March 13.

Published Feb 14, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.