ARIZONA CARDINALS
Uninterrupted captures former Cardinal Calais Campbell’s free agency
Sep 7, 2017, 5:32 PM | Updated: 9:07 pm
For nine seasons, Calais Campbell terrorized opponents of the Arizona Cardinals. But the second-round draft pick by Arizona in 2008 hit free agency this offseason as a 31-year-old whose price-point and contract length didn’t fit into the long-term outlook.
So he and his agent worked the phones, eventually choosing the Jacksonville Jaguars as his second NFL home.
Campbell inked a four-year, $60 million contract with half of the money guaranteed.
It wasn’t as easy as taking the biggest offer.
Uninterrupted followed Campbell leading into free agency and during it to compose a 16-minute documentary short covering Campbell’s nervous hours navigating his latest career move. Early on, the film reveals his skepticism about a return to the Cardinals despite his desire to remain in the desert.
“I tell you like this, man, it’s been a pleasure,” Campbell says while sitting down for a meal with former Cardinals teammate Chandler Jones.
“Stop saying that, bro,” Jones replies. “Once I see that ESPN (say Campbell is on another team), I’m going to call you and say, ‘it’s a pleasure.'”
From the beginning, it’s clear Campbell’s decision isn’t so clear-cut, even with the Cardinals out of the picture having only a $9 million per-year deal to offer. And it’s clear how complicated the negotiating process becomes once the free agency period begins.
Conflict finds Campbell when the Jaguars put the $15 million per year deal on the table just as the Broncos, the Denver native’s hometown team, express their own interest. He consults with his siblings and fellow Denver product and former NBA star Chauncey Billups as he wrestles with the two options.
Even with that Jaguars’ deal on the table, Campbell even makes his agent, Tom Condon, give Denver and Arizona a final call.
“I know what they’re going to say, just for the hell of it,” Condon says, before calling back. “They can’t do anything. As a matter of fact, we tried to give them what the (Jacksonville) offer was and they said, ‘we don’t need to hear it.'”
Because Condon fears the Jaguars’ offer could be pulled, Campbell is given just minutes to give the Jaguars a call back to take the contract.
Eventually, he makes the call.
“Let’s go with Jacksonville,” Campbell says.
