CHARLOTTE — Calais Campbell and JJ Jansen don't have a terrible amount in common.

But at some point Sunday, they'll be on the field at the same time during a field goal attempt, and there will be 525 games of NFL experience between them.

"To have a career like that, it's unbelievable; you know they're getting the most out of the game," said 35-year-old quarterback Andy Dalton, who has played a mere 175 games.

To put it into context, their combined 525 games played after Sunday are more than the entire eight-man offensive line that flanks Jansen when he snaps and Campbell rushes on field goals (There are 506 games played among Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, Taylor Moton, Damien Lewis, Chandler Zavala, Yosh Nijman, Robert Hunt, and Ja'Tavion Sanders.)

The elder statesmen and captains of their respective teams, Campbell and Jansen are also No. 1 and No. 2 on the all-time games played list among active players with 262 and 261 games played, respectively.

Of course, Campbell and Jansen are this close on the all-time list, but they both know they're not quite the same, since the games played on the defensive line are very different from those played as long snappers.

"He has a big advantage," Campbell joked this week in an interview with AzCardinals.com. "The fact it's even interesting is interesting."

Of course, Jansen could move into a tie with Campbell as soon as Week 8 when the Cardinals have a bye, though Campbell could pull away when Jansen has his in Week 14.

But still.

Since 2012, when ProFootballReference.com started tracking snap counts (that's how old these two cats are), Jansen has played 1,860 snaps, with 1,859 of them on special teams and one on offense (a fake in 2019).

Campbell has played 1,778 special teams snaps over that span, along with 9,518 snaps on defense, which is kind of his day job. But he's also blocked nine field goals in his career and had two special teams tackles in the Super Bowl.

"Do it with pride," Campbell said of his extra work on special teams. "I can say that to people because I played special teams myself. It's like yo, I was great on special teams. I was elite on special teams."

Jansen saw it with his own eyes on special teams tape this week.

"He's gonna swim the C-gap," Jansen said. "We're going to turn the tape on and from Week 1, he's probably swimming the C-gap and running over people, because that's just what he does. And you just have a tremendous amount of respect for the consistency not only as a human being, but certainly as a football player on the field."

Campbell has also been very good on defense throughout his long career, with 110.5 career sacks, 922 tackles, 266 quarterback hits, 187 tackles for loss, 63 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, three for touchdowns, and three safeties.

So yeah, they're different, but there's a baseline level of respect between them.

"I'd probably say four or five years ago, I can't remember who he was playing with, but just I always noticed him because he was still rushing field goals and he was also the the wing on field goal, and thinking, man, a guy who's 32, 33 years old, was still playing on multiple phases of special teams and taking pride in it.

"And then I think you just realize, oh my gosh, hey, we've played about the same amount of games. He's having a real impact on the game, and so it's pretty cool to kind of still be doing it, and from afar, our careers are sort of mirroring each other, at least in terms of games. I just have the utmost respect for him."

They also know each other from years of NFLPA meetings, because when you play for 18 and 17 years, you go to a lot of those.

Jansen said he's come to know the booming baritone voice of Campbell when he introduces himself on a conference call.

"I'm like, Calais, we know who you are," Jansen laughed. "We know it's you, right?"

Opponents don't have a hard time finding the 6-foot-8, 315-pound, for sure.

"He just has the genetic gift that he is the massive human he is," said Panthers center Austin Corbett, who is 180 games behind Campbell on the all-time list. "That sure helps. But I've played against him a few times, and it's his detail to his craft that allows him to be in those right body positions to be in the spot to continually make plays. So it's just a credit and testament to his work, his overall intelligence, he's just a super savvy player and just so impressive."

Or, as Dalton put it, "I think God designed him to play football."

Campbell and Jansen have also been blessed with the kind of health to last as long as they have. While playing a far more high-impact position, Campbell has missed just 15 games in his career, never more than four in a season.

"We're both incredibly blessed," Jansen said. "With health, with teams that trust us to do our jobs, obviously very different jobs."

Jansen remembered a scene early in his career, when then-coach John Fox told the team that only 1 percent of players who appear in the NFL ever get to 12 years. Jansen looked around the room and saw kicker John Kasay (20 seasons) and wide receiver Ricky Proehl (17 seasons), and realized he was among some of the all-time ironmen. He's also 17 games clear of Proehl (244 games) on the all-time list, but still chasing Kasay's 301 games.

And that's the air Campbell and Jansen are breathing right now.

Campbell's tied for 38th and Jansen tied for 40th on the all-time games played list in NFL history, and with every week they move up on lists of legendary names.

Campbell will tie Cards legend Larry Fitzgerald on Sunday for 34th on the all-time list (263). Jansen's a month away from joining Hall of Famers Julius Peppers and Peyton Manning (266).

"That's how rare it is," Jansen said. "I'm thinking, man, if I could ever get to 12 years. People make a big deal about 10, I think 12 would be really cool. Like, what a cool number because it puts you in just rarefied air.

"And then you realize like the guys that get to play into their late 30s, like me, like Calais, like Aaron Rodgers (249 games and counting), Marcedes Lewis, like there are these guys that are out there that are doing it. And you just have all the more respect when it's not a quarterback or a kicker or a snapper because of the physical toll. If you look at that full list, I've looked at it very rarely, but a couple of times I've noticed, like Jerry Rice is sitting up there like in the top 10 (ninth with 303 games). You're like, that's unbelievable, right? Bruce Matthews is up there in the top 20 (15th with 296), like Julius Peppers (31st with 266). No disrespect to any kicker or snapper or quarterback, but the physical demands are just so different, and that's why I have so much respect for Calais."

They're also joined in becoming part of the lore of their respective franchises.

Campbell returned to the desert this offseason for what most believe to be his final season, bringing the gravity that comes with a long career and having a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award on his resume.

And Jansen's played more games as a Panther than any player, breaking his own record weekly.

But one of the other keys to playing that long is knowing what it takes, and not looking too far ahead.

"Usually someone says something to me so I see it eventually," Campbell said. "I think it's at 262 now. That's cool. Someone sent it to me that I have the most starts of all active players, and that's cool, too. My family and friends usually keep me informed for the most part.

"You don't really pay attention to it. I'm just out here trying to play the game I love."

It just so happens that he and Jansen are doing it more often than anyone currently playing in the league, and that's not by accident.