Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs just wrapped up his 16th professional season in the final year of his contract and now enters the unknown.
Suggs, however, hopes Sunday's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers doesn't mark the end of his accomplished career.
Instead, he plans to keep playing and Suggs certainly wouldn't mind finishing his playing career in Baltimore.
"I would love to be a Raven for life," Suggs told reporters after Sunday's game, via the team's official website. "I'm healthy. I feel like I've still got some juice in the tank. I would love to be a Raven for life."
Suggs, who turned 36 in October, continued to play at a high level the past season, starting all 16 games and totaling seven sacks, which ranked as the second-highest on the team. His 132.5 career sacks are tied for 13th on the NFL's all-time sacks list with Leslie O'Neal and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
Baltimore could elect to not bring back Suggs, but doing so would leave a gaping hole on defense. The Ravens clearly counted on Suggs throughout the season, as he totaled the fourth-highest defensive snaps on the team (744), and he is one of the team's clear leaders on and off the field.
Perhaps that is why a potential return for Suggs makes sense, but the seven-time Pro Bowl selection understands it takes two parties to get a deal done.
"It's up to them," Suggs told reporters. "I mean, we'll have to see what happens. It's a long time between here and March, so we're just going to enjoy it, hope we can work it out. But if not, I'm going to be lining up for somebody next year."
Whether it's with Baltimore or another team, Suggs' willingness to extend his playing career should draw attention from potential suitors when the official 2019 League Year begins in March.
Suggs likely won't command a lucrative free-agent contract given his age, but he showed in 2018 that he can still be productive and would be a good fit for a team in need of a veteran pass rusher.
