Calais Campbell records a sack at age 40 in Sunday regular-season action

He joins Bruce Smith and Clay Matthews in the 40-plus club.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

40-year olds with a sack Calais Campbell Bruce Smith Clay Matthews CALAIS CAMPBELL IS TIMELESS https://t.co/NQNSToaCBO Via @PFF on X

What happened: Calais Campbell registered a quarterback takedown on Sunday, becoming the third NFL defender since at least 1982 to log a sack at age 40 or older, per Pro Football Focus and Jonas Shaffer. Before Sunday's game, only Bruce Smith and Clay Matthews had recorded an official sack after turning 40.

Why it matters: Selected 50th overall in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Campbell remains a productive interior pass rusher 18 years after entering the league. Campbell mentored rookies during July offseason workouts while preparing for another full regular-season workload.

By the numbers: Per ESPN (as of Sept. 29, 2026), Campbell recorded 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks across 17 games during the 2025 season after entering the league as the No.

What to watch: Campbell will look to add to his 40-and-over sack tally when the 2026 NFL regular season continues next week.

Sources

@PFF 2026-10-18T17:28:52.983662+00:00

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