Ravens are signing a 40-year-old defensive lineman to play his 19th NFL season and it is awesome

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Calais Campbell is timeless. And to prove it, on Thursday he agreed to a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens that will make 2026 his 19th NFL season.

That's not the most impressive part.

This is: The guy's a defensive lineman.

Calais Campbell of the Baltimore Ravens is introduced before the game against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 4, 2022. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

He plays on both the edge and sometimes in the interior of the defensive line where multiple 300-pound offensive linemen in an ornery mood can double-team him. Or dive at his knees. Or grab him in unspeakable places.

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(Playing defensive line in the NFL is not for the faint of heart).

Campbell possess the ability to play on the edge on passing downs or when his team is in a certain front. The Ravens could also line up Campbell inside of their edge rushers such as Trey Hendrickson to force the opposing team to pick which accomplished pass rusher they wish to double-team.

And that inside rush, which would effectively turn Campbell into a part-time defensive tackle, would come from a guy who is 40 years old.

Forty!

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones throws a pass while Baltimore Ravens' Calais Campbell pressures him during the first half in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 16, 2022. (Seth Wenig/AP)

He is probably one of the few NFL players who remembers Ice Cube as a member of N.W.A. and not only as an actor.

Maybe you're thinking, 40-year-old NFL players aren't exactly unique. Rare, but not unique.

That's true.

Tom Brady