OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Calais Campbell said he’s asked some version of the question pretty much every day, so he was well prepared for the first query from reporters following the Baltimore Ravens’ mandatory minicamp practice Tuesday.Why, at age 39 and after 18 NFL seasons battling in the trenches, are you still doing this?“I think the only answer I could really say is I love the game,” Campbell said. “I love it, I’m still fairly good at it and they still want me to play, so it’s like, why not? I’m healthy and I love the game.“One day it’s going to be taken from me and I’m going to have to retire, but even today, I was like, ‘I get to go out there on the field and put my helmet on,’ it’s a good feeling. I’m going to enjoy it as long as I can. I think it should be a good year. It’s a great environment, a top-flight organization, teammates I have a lot of admiration for, a great coaching staff. I feel really good about this year.”The Ravens signed Campbell, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, to a one-year, $5.5 million contract last month. He also played with the team from 2020 to 2022. Campbell was asked regularly during his first stint with the team about his retirement plans and he’d consistently acknowledge that he was playing on a year-to-year basis and he’d make a decision after every season.Since leaving Baltimore, he played one year in Atlanta, one year in Miami and one year in Arizona, which is where he started his potential Hall of Fame career. Now, he’s back in Baltimore, although it will likely be for only one year.“This year, I feel as strongly as ever that this is probably going to be my last year,” he said. “I know I said that last year and the year before. I genuinely mean it at the time, but I always tell myself to play well enough to be able to get a job again if I want to. If I go out there and perform to the level I want to play, I’m probably going to have to turn somebody down next year. That’s the ideal scenario. At that time, I’ll decide if I want to play again or not.”Campbell is coming off a season in which he had 6.5 sacks. 43 tackles, two pass deflections and 16 quarterback hits. His 6.5 sacks would have led the Ravens, who have coveted a Campbell return always since the day he left following the 2022 season.The Ravens thought they had a deal to acquire Campbell from the Dolphins before the 2024 trade deadline, but then-Miami head coach Mike McDaniel nixed the deal. Baltimore had also attempted to sign him as a free agent, but never could push a deal across the finish line. Until last month.“Pretty much every year since I left, there’s been some kind of conversation with (Ravens general manager) Eric DeCosta,” Campbell said. “This year, we finally made it work. I feel like this was kind of divine. I’m happy to be here.”The Ravens certainly offer Campbell plenty of familiarity, along with an opportunity to chase that elusive Super Bowl. Head coach Jesse Minter was a Ravens defensive assistant during Campbell’s first stint in Baltimore. Campbell played under Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, both in Baltimore and Miami, and called him “probably” his favorite coach ever. Campbell has already been teammates with a number of the Ravens’ defensive standouts, including Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Nnamdi Madubuike.Calais Campbell is back in Baltimore after spending the past three seasons with the Cardinals, Dolphins and Falcons, where he totaled 6.5, 5 and 6.5 sacks. (Jeff Zrebiec / The Athletic)Campbell ranks 34th all-time in the NFL with 117 career sacks. If he duplicates his sack total from last season, he’d move inside the top 30. Having played in 278 games, Campbell is also just five games away from surpassing Jim Marshall for the most games played by a defensive lineman.“Calais can really still play at a high level,” Minter said. “His tape last season speaks for itself. I’m excited about what he’ll bring between the lines to our defense and then also very excited about him as a person and as a leader in the locker room.”Absent but not for longWhen the Ravens took the field Tuesday afternoon for the start of the two-day minicamp, nine players, including seven potential starters, were not participating. Minter, however, said just about all of them were dealing with minor illnesses or injuries that he expects to be cleared in time for the start of training camp next month.The non-participants included starting wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman; starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley; reserve guard/center Corey Bullock; inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan (knee); defensive linemen Madubuike (neck), Travis Jones and John Jenkins; and cornerback Nate Wiggins.Bateman and Stanley watched about half the practice with Buchanan joining them on the sideline for the last 30 minutes. Jones popped out of the training room after practice.“We have a few guys dealing with some small things — a couple of illnesses, a couple of little, small things,” Minter said. “The guys who weren’t out here may or may not be back tomorrow, but we’re very confident that everybody on our roster will be ready for the start of training camp.”Asked if that included Madubuike, who had neck surgery in April after missing most of the 2025 season, Minter said, “At some point that will clear itself up. We feel good about where it’s at. I would just leave it at that right now.”Smith moving onRavens middle linebacker Roquan Smith didn’t have a whole lot of interest in reliving a disappointing 2025 season, both for the team and the defense he leads. He did readily acknowledge that he didn’t play up to his standards.“It wasn’t the season I wanted to have, regardless of the circumstances,” Smith said. “No excuses at all, but it wasn’t a season of my standard. I feel like you have to start with yourself before going anywhere else.”Smith’s 130 tackles were his lowest total since 2019, his second season in the NFL. He also played just 12 games that year. He also finished without a sack and an interception for the first time in his career.Smith missed two games last year with a hamstring injury and appeared to be banged up throughout the year, but he made clear Tuesday that he wasn’t going to make any excuses and was ready to embrace a new season under a new head coach and defensive coordinator.“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to show who we are,” Smith said.Minter raved about the work Smith has put in this offseason and said he expects Smith to be one of the best inside linebackers in the league in 2026.Quick hittersQuarterback Lamar Jackson delivered the play of the day by rolling to his right and firing a high-arching pass about 50 yards downfield that dropped in the hands of rookie wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who was well covered by cornerback Marquise Robinson. … Kicker Tyler Loop made all five of his kicks in the field-goal portion of team drills with his longest from 53 yards. … Asked about his impressions of first-round guard Vegan Ioane, Smith said that while the pads still haven’t gone on, he can tell that physicality is Ioane’s “thing.” … Former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale watched practice Tuesday, spending the majority of it seated next to Ravens Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome. In his first stint in Baltimore, Minter was an assistant under Martindale and called the longtime NFL college and NFL defensive coordinator one of his mentors. … Tight end Caden Prieskorn, who was recently let go by the Cleveland Browns, and offensive lineman Christian Hilborn, an undrafted player out of Washington State, were among the tryout guys at minicamp.