The 2025 NFL Trade Deadline is on Tuesday, Nov. 4, which is now just five days away. The Arizona Cardinals are in a tough spot, but that still means they could be quite active in trade talks.
The Cardinals will play the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football this week, which leaves little time before their Week 9 game and the NFL Trade Deadline the following day.
However, the outcome of that game will be pivotal in determining how the Cardinals approach the final hours leading up to the deadline. The Cardinals are expected to get a couple of front-four contributors back from injury soon, and that could mean one veteran is a prime trade candidate.
Should the Cardinals Trade Calais Campbell?
Campbell is a home-grown Cardinals player, and he probably signed with Arizona thinking he’d retire in the Valley. However, football is a business, and decisions need to be made.
The Cardinals, who are ranked 23rd in PFSN’s Offense Impact Ranking, drafted Campbell in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and he spent his first nine seasons in the NFL in Arizona.
The veteran defensive tackle then spent three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars and three years with the Baltimore Ravens before bouncing around the NFL for the last couple of seasons.
The Cardinals brought Campbell back to the Valley this offseason, and he’s back to putting up solid numbers, just as he has throughout his entire 18-year NFL career.
However, the Cardinals are expected to get rookie defensive lineman Walter Nolen III and third-year outside linebacker BJ Ojulari back from injury soon, and that creates an overcrowded front four with plenty of depth.
There’s still time for the Cardinals to turn their 2025 season around, but it’s an uphill battle at this point, and that may mean trading a veteran player like Campbell to a contender, allowing Arizona’s youth to learn, grow, and thrive throughout the remainder of the season.
“The Cardinals have more defensive line depth than just about anybody else in the league,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “Campbell is continuing to play at a high level … the 39-year-old is good enough to play meaningful snaps on a team that’s competing for a Super Bowl.
“He would be a great fit for a team like the Chiefs or Bills, both of whom could use extra depth up front.”
Campbell leads the Cardinals’ front four in tackles and is second on the team behind only Josh Sweat in sacks (3) and TFLs (5).
Moving Campbell would be a big loss up front for Arizona, but it would allow more playing time and development for Nolen and even Ojulari. Both are players viewed as potential rising stars for the Cardinals.
If Campbell is moved to a contender like the Bills or Chiefs, he brings a significant amount of veteran leadership to the table, and he’s still playing very well.
Campbell’s production would be second on the Chiefs, behind only defensive end George Karlaftis, and Campbell would lead the Bills’ front four with his midseason stats.
Imagine Campbell and Chris Jones coming at you as an offense every play.
It might take Ojulari some time to get back to his rookie-year self, playing for the first time after his torn ACL in 2024. However, both Nolen and Ojulari should be massive additions to the Cardinals’ front four for the second half of the season.
This should prompt the Cardinals to at least explore the potential return on a proven veteran like Campbell. The NFL Trade Deadline is in five days, and we expect some action as we get closer.
