Could Sunday's wild-card loss have been Terrell Suggs' last game as a Raven?
The outside linebacker has kept talk of the future at arm's length, refusing to jinx anything or look too far into his own future.
But after Sunday's wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Suggs acknowledged that he is a pending free agent this offseason, and thus his future is unknown.
Asked if this was his last game in purple and black, Suggs said, "I hope not."
"I would love to be a Raven for life. I'm healthy. I feel like I've still got some juice in the tank," Suggs said.
"It's up to them. We'll have to see what happens. It's a long time between here and March. Hopefully we can work it out, but if not, I'm going to be lining up for somebody next year."
Suggs is 36 years old and has played more games than any Raven in team history. Yet he still played in all 16 games this season and registered seven sacks.
It was his fewest sacks in a full season since 2007, but there's no doubt that his impact on Baltimore's top-ranked defense is still profound. He's a leader in the locker room, in the classroom, and on the field, and losing him would create a big hole.
Two examples of how things can end for a Ravens defensive legend were in M&T Bank Stadium. Ray Lewis played his entire 17-year career in Baltimore. Ed Reed wasn't re-signed by the Ravens after Super Bowl XLVII and played one more season, split between the Houston Texans and New York Jets, before hanging up his cleats.
"Unfortunately, we've had to see some Raven guys line up in other uniforms," Suggs said. "I hope that's not my case. If it is, so be it."
Suggs has played 16 seasons in Baltimore, starting as a first-round pick in 2003. He said he "loved this one" and spoke as if the relationship will continue.
"We showed a lot of resilience," Suggs said. "Everybody counted us out after we lost three in a row and we were 4-5. … We can take a lot of positives from this season. But we don't want moral victories. We want glory. We're going to work, the offseason starts today."
