Terrell Suggs: Coming Home

Terrell Suggs: Coming Home

    One of the biggest offseason moves to fly under the radar was linebacker Terrell Suggs telling the Baltimore Ravens that he would not be returning to their team after 16 years with the franchise. No, he is not retiring; he is simply moving on. This is a common practice among players getting on in age, leaving an underachieving team often in search of one last championship with another team. Of course, that is what you would expect an aging player who’s not ready to call it quits to do. However, it seems that Terrell Suggs either doesn’t want to do that or doesn’t quite understand the concept of ring-chasing. Terrell Suggs signed with his hometown Arizona Cardinals. Yes, the 3-13 Arizona Cardinals that are led by Josh Rosen, or Kyler Murray, or…whomever. As I said, not likely chasing a ring here, so why return home for what may likely be his last season putting on the pads?

    For those of you who only know Suggs as the menacing Baltimore Ravens linebacker (or from his bit-role on HBO’s Ballers), Terrell Suggs is from Arizona and was an all-American at Arizona State. He is taking the opportunity that so many athletes crave, the chance to play in front of his hometown fans in the most elite league of his profession. While he is not from the state of Arizona originally, he attended high school and college in Arizona, and anybody who has been to college knows that the place you choose to spend four (or five, nothing wrong with that) years of your life becomes basically your first home in adulthood.

    What can Suggs bring to this defense? Well, he has been a leader in Baltimore for the past decade and has been as durable as he has been passionate. After losing the entire 2015 season to a torn Achilles, he has missed just one game since then. While he may be slowing down in his older years, he still produced seven sacks this past year, which would make him one of the most effective pass rushers on the painfully bad Cardinals defense. With a first-year coach at the helm in Arizona, Suggs could be an important voice on the sidelines and in the defensive huddle that could give direction to a defense that sorely needs it.

    While I personally have an incredible amount of respect for players that finish out their career in one city (Tom Brady, Ray Lewis, Jason Hanson) I also understand a player’s desire to play in his hometown. I think after all Terrell Suggs has done for the Baltimore Ravens, he deserves that chance. He has the most sacks of any active player and is tied for 13th all-time, he leads the Ravens in career sacks and forced fumbles, and is second in franchise history in total tackles. I hope that fans of the Ravens understand his decision and pay Terrell Suggs the proper respects.

-By: NIck Selko