Terrell Suggs’ storied run with the Baltimore Ravens is about to end. After 16 seasons, Suggs informed the Ravens on Monday that he planned to sign with the Arizona Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent.
Suggs will leave the Ravens as one of the franchise’s iconic players. He anchored the Baltimore defense and served as one of its undisputed leaders for most of his career. While Suggs is one of the longest-tenured Ravens — Ray Lewis is the only player that has him beat, having played 17 seasons in Baltimore — it was the quality, and not just the quantity, of those years that separated him.
The No. 10 overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft, Suggs has 132.5 sacks, seven interceptions, 33 forced fumbles and 854 tackles for his career. He has played in 229 of a possible 256 regular-season games. In 18 playoff games, he has compiled 12.5 sacks, one interception, four forced fumbles and 76 tackles. The 36-year-old also holds Ravens franchise records for games played, sacks, forced fumbles and sack yards, as well as the franchise records for postseason sacks (12.5) and sack yards (79).
Suggs is the only active NFL player with 900 tackles, 100 sacks and 30 forced fumbles. Following Julius Peppers’ retirement this offseason, Suggs leads all active NFL players in career sacks and sack yards (893.5) and is tied for 13th all-time in career sacks in NFL history.
Over his career, Suggs racked up the accolades: NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2011), seven Pro Bowls (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010-2011, 2013 and 2017), All-Pro first-team selection (2011) and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2003).
For his part, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh seems to think Suggs will wind up in Canton some day and presumably become the fourth Raven to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I think he’s on a mission, and I think he’s headed to the Hall of Fame,” Harbaugh said of Suggs in June. “I want to see that statement made this year, next year and for as long as he plays.”
