TEMPE, Ariz. -- When defensive lineman Calais Campbell folded his 6-foot-8 frame into a chair for his re-introductory press conference with the Arizona Cardinals last month, it was a moment he never considered a year ago.
But after the Cardinals inquired about trading for him at the deadline in October, the idea of returning to Arizona, where his NFL career began in 2008 as a second-round pick, became a possibility. The Cardinals didn't pull off a trade for Campbell, who left Arizona as a free agent after the 2016 season, but the wheels inside his head were in motion.
"I started getting in my head like, 'Dang, that would be cool to go back to Arizona,'" Campbell said.
As Campbell entered free agency for the third time in three years this offseason, not only was he thinking about a return, but those around him -- from his family to his support system -- kept talking about a reunion.
It finally happened on April 1 and Campbell was back with his first team in a veteran role that he's already embracing.
"It just made a lot of sense," Campbell said. "And I'm really happy to be here."
Campbell didn't find any of his former teammates waiting to welcome him home when he reported for the first day of the Cardinals' offseason program, but he did see a number of familiar faces. He's met quarterback Kyler Murray a handful of times, and he said he knows safety Budda Baker, defensive linemen L.J. Collier and offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum just from being in the league. Campbell has also trained with fellow defensive lineman Justin Jones, who gave Campbell his old number, No. 93.
At this point in his career -- heading into his 18th season at 38 years old -- Campbell has a firm understanding of why teams want him, and what he can give to them.
"I know when GMs and decision-makers [sign me], they're looking for me to come into a building, I mean, they know that I come with a lot of leadership capabilities and prestige that a lot of the young guys respect, which is really cool," Campbell said. "And, so, I don't take that lightly. I mean, I take that with a lot of pride and I try to do best I can."
It's one of the reasons why coach Jonathan Gannon wanted Campbell back in Arizona.
"He's played a lot of ball," Gannon said. "You see that with how he talks, you know what I mean? He's got a really interesting viewpoint of 18 years playing, but it's been awesome. He's going to be great for our entire team, the defense and the D-line room."
It didn't take Campbell long to establish himself in the locker room and the defensive line room.
During one meeting, second-year defensive lineman Darius Robinson heard Campbell called "Mr. 110." At first, Robinson thought that was referring to the number of games Campbell has started, but then realized that's too low of a number for almost 20 seasons. When he found out it was about Campbell's 110.5 career sacks, Robinson was shocked.
"I said, 'Dang, I only got one sack.'" Robinson said with a laugh. "So, I said, 'Yeah, I got a lot of work to do.'
"But, no, he's been great. That's legendary. Just want to learn as much as I can from him and I understand he was here in the beginning and to be able to come back. So, it just shows the standard of what I envision for myself. So, it's awesome to have a great leader to be able to look up to."
To Campbell, being a leader is baked into who he is as a player and a person. He'll be able to impart his experience on everyone as the oldest player on the roster but especially first-round pick Walter Nolen III, who'll share the defensive line room with Campbell.
"I mean it's kind of been who I am anyway," Campbell said. "I don't think I can go somewhere and not be that."
On the field, Campbell knows exactly what he can give the Cardinals, and that's about 35 "quality" plays. Those, he said, will be "Grade A plays," and he still believes he can be "dominant" and alter games. Once he starts getting into the 40- or 50-play range, he'll play well but not as well as if he played in a few less. And the recovery will be harder.
After 35 plays in a game, Campbell said he typically feels "great." But after he hits the 45-play range, he feels "drained." Even though the days of 75 plays in a game are long gone for Campbell, he still feels like he could muster enough to play a full game if the situation warranted it, albeit the playoffs or an important regular-season game.
He said accepting he was no longer that player who could stay on the field for every snap was a "hard realization."
"It kind of happened gradually," he said. "It didn't happen right away.
"I know that for me to be effective for a full year, I got to be smart."
Campbell's already surpassed his own career expectations. Around his eighth year, he wanted to play 15 years, because that's about how long the Hall of Famers he studied were playing. Then he changed his projection to about 10 or 12 years.
Now, 18 years in, he's "shocked" that he's still playing.
Campbell was flooded with memories when walking through the halls of the Cardinals' practice facility for the first time in nine years, the same place he worked to help lead Arizona to its only Super Bowl appearance. It was a bit of nostalgia for him that came with a dose of optimism.
He's followed the Cardinals from afar since his departure almost a decade ago and he saw first-hand last season with the Miami Dolphins what the Cardinals were building in a loss to Arizona in South Florida.
So far, he likes what he sees out of his year's edition of the Cardinals. He described Gannon as a "brilliant defensive mind" who's a "really good schemer" and "knows how to utilize talent." Campbell was also impressed with Arizona's commitment to building the defensive front the last two years.
That's all led Campbell to believing Arizona can make a run in 2025. He said he wouldn't have returned if that wasn't the case.
"I felt like this team is poised for a breakout year," he said. "And, I mean, obviously, everybody says that. It really doesn't matter what you say this time of year, it's what you do. But, I see a lot of action being done and think this team is poised."