PHILADELPHIA — Parris Campbell didn’t want to accept a practice squad role. Not even with the Philadelphia Eagles.
A former second-round pick, Campbell had too much pride to even think about being on a practice squad — let alone accept a role on one.
“I was immediately like, no. That’s not me. That’s not for me,” Campbell said this week. “I kind of shut the door on it. I talked to my agent and he was like, ‘Do you want to practice squad?’ I just shut the door on it.”
Then Campbell began to think about his future in the NFL. What if this was? What if the Eagles were his last chance?
Campbell was already on his third team in six seasons and only had more than 200 yards receiving in a season once in that span. He may have been an afterthought in NFL rounds at age 27. Which team would actually put Campbell on an active roster?
“About a couple of hours went by, and I was sitting there, thinking about what was going to happen next, if I got a call from another team, or if it was the end of the road,” Campbell said. “I started praying, and I said, ‘If I’m meant to be here in Philly, I’m going to open that door back up.’
Just 10 minutes later, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called Campbell. Sirianni already had a relationship with Campbell back with the Indianapolis Colts when Sirianni was Campbell’s offensive coordinator. This is how Campbell ended up on the Eagles in the first place.
“‘We’re gonna need you, man,'” Sirianni told Campbell. “‘We’re going to need you to make some plays. We’re going to need you — I know this isn’t what you wanted, but we’re going to need you for this journey that we’re going on.
‘”We have faith in you.”
That phone call convinced Campbell that he needed to be with the Eagles, even if it was on their practice squad. Philadelphia was that.
“I was just in a bad place, man, to be honest,” Campbell said. “I never saw myself as being in this league and then being cut, being released. I never saw that for myself.
“It was just a proud thing: the amount of work you put into this, the time and effort and sacrifices. All of that just to let go.”
The Eagles need Campbell more than ever, especially with DeVonta Smith and Britain Covey out, and the uncertainty of AJ Brown. They need a veteran that Jalen Hurts can rely on in the offense. They need Campbell.
At this stage in his career, there’s nothing Campbell can’t handle.
“I’ve kind of seen every facet in this league now,” Campbell said. “I saw being a starter for a few years. I saw being injured. I saw, last year, being inactive. This year, I saw being cut and being on the practice squad.
“So I’ve seen every rank you could be, so it definitely helps.”
This is not how Campbell envisioned his career, however the NFL is built on multiple opportunities. If Campbell hadn’t listened to Sirianni, he might not have gotten another one.
“I was a little overwhelmed mentally,” Campbell said. “But I’m glad I stuck it out.”
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