Health a big investment for Jaguars' Campbell

To get himself physically ready for Sunday’s Jaguars game against Cincinnati, Calais Campbell went through a dry needling therapy session this past Wednesday to relieve muscle soreness in his back.

The procedure involved small needles inserted in Campbell's back to relieve areas of knotted or hard muscle that was causing the pain.

Campbell also underwent an acupuncture procedure on Tuesday in his upper shoulders to relieve soreness caused from the hits he took on in last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

In between film study and two practices, Campbell had appointments with his personal chiropractor and both message therapists twice this past week to help him recover from last Sunday's game. He also took advantage of getting extended a veteran's day off on Wednesday.

Though he keeps a hectic schedule, Campbell, a 12-year veteran, said his weekly acupuncture treatments, dry needling sessions, chiropractor visits, message therapists and the use of his own hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which he paid $27,000, have all helped prolong his career.

Campbell said he budgets about $100,000 each season on body maintenance.

And he expects to exceed that total this season to about $120,000. Campbell also uses the therapy and recovery sessions the Jaguars provide for all their players.

At 33, Campbell is a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He has 28 career sacks since joining the Jaguars as a free agent in 2017. On Sunday against Cincinnati (0-6), he will be seeking his first sack since registering three against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.

"The money kind of goes up every year, but it didn’t start out this high," Campbell said. "I didn’t need as much either as I do now. Out of necessity, I’m getting more and more. Every single day I’m doing something for my body. That’s not including my own machines. You have to invest in yourself. Honestly, if you spend $300,000 a year on your body and it can bring in an extra four or five years for your career where you can make $10-plus million dollars, it pays dividends. I think it helps you play at a higher level."

Campbell said he didn’t start investing in his body like he does now until his seventh season in the league after seeing how it benefited Larry Fitzgerald, his teammate when Campbell played for Arizona. At 36, Fitzgerald is in his 15th season with the Cardinals.

Since his arrival in Jacksonville in 2017, Campbell has been encouraging younger Jaguars players to follow his lead and invest in body maintenance. None of the Jaguars players, however, are quite at the level of Campbell’s $100,000 commitment. But running back Leonard Fournette says he has a personal therapist that he hired.

Defensive tackle Eli Ankou, who was signed to the practice squad after playing the past two seasons as a backup, said he spends about $2,000 per season on body maintenance.

"I don’t have that Calais money, but I’m 100 percent with it," Ankou said. "I take care of my body because that’s what get you through the year. Otherwise, you start failing apart."

A number of players have invested on body maintenance. Cleveland wide receiver Odell Beckham reportedly spends $300,000 on body maintenance in the offseason.

Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who retired in 2018, revealed during an interview on NFL Network in 2017 that he spent about $350,000 a year flying in specialists and therapists to help prolong his career that extended 15 seasons.

Six-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, 42, credits his exercise and diet routine as having a big impact on his longevity.

"It’s one of the smartest things I’ve done in my career," Campbell said. "I wish I had done it when I was younger. When you’re playing 50 or 60 snaps, at full speed and run into somebody, it’s tough on your body. Each year, it gets harder and harder to recover. I realized if I take care of my body, I can come back quicker."