Calais Campbell Sets NFL Record for Defensive Line Appearances

A 19-season NFL career has made Calais Campbell the league's most experienced defensive lineman by regular-season appearances. The Baltimore Ravens veteran reached 283 games against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, surpassing Jim Marshall's record as Baltimore announced the milestone.

Campbell entered the 2026 season with 278 career appearances, leaving him five games short of Marshall's mark. His appearance against Atlanta brought him past that total and established a new record for games played by an NFL defensive lineman.

The 40-year-old achieved the milestone during his second stint with Baltimore. According to the team's announcement, Campbell has built his record across nearly two decades in the league, including multiple stops outside Maryland.

Campbell first played for the Ravens from 2020 through 2022. He subsequently spent one season each with Atlanta, Miami and Arizona before returning to Baltimore during the offseason ahead of the 2026 campaign.

His career has combined durability with consistent production on defense. Campbell entered Sunday's game with 117 career sacks, including a personal-best 14.5 sacks for Jacksonville in 2017.

During the previous season with Arizona, Campbell recorded 6.5 sacks and 43 tackles. Those numbers added to a career resume that continued to grow before his return to the Ravens.

Campbell had already considered the possibility of ending his playing career before reaching the record. In June, he described the 2026 season as potentially his final year while acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding his ability to make five additional NFL appearances.

At that point, Campbell needed five more games to overtake Marshall. His appearance against Atlanta completed that milestone, giving the Baltimore defensive lineman sole possession of the regular-season games record among players at his position.