Calais Campbell broke his silence Tuesday regarding the devastating family tragedy that occurred in late June, when his brother Ciarre Campbell, 41, was charged with murdering their 71-year-old mother in Atlanta. Campbell revealed that his family informed police his brother struggled with mental illness.

"I just wanted to say these last couple months have been pretty tough for me and my family," Campbell said. "But I've been working through it and I really appreciate all the love and support and the prayers that have been coming from all over, really from all the NFL community, all the fan bases. So I appreciate the prayers. Continue praying for us because we need it."

When asked if he considered not playing this season, Campbell emphasized his love for football: "I love the game of football a lot and it is a place that brings me joy. This is a very fun place for me to be. And so playing football has been great for me."

Campbell reported to Ravens training camp in late July, though he was excused from the first week of practices to ease back into football activities. Entering his 19th NFL season, Campbell believes he'll be ready for Baltimore's September 13 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.