The reigning Defensive Player of the Year 'has his target date' for when he could return.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs is eligible to come off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list in just over two weeks, meaning that he could return from his Achilles tendon injury as early as the Week 7 matchup in Houston.
Suggs and the Ravens have been mum recently about a specific date for him to suit up again, but Head Coach John Harbaugh said on Friday that the outside linebacker does have a game in mind.
"He has his target date," Harbaugh said, without sharing the specific date. "He is doing well. The main thing we want to do now is make sure there is no setback, and he continues to get in shape and continues to get stronger."
Suggs suffered the injury at the end of April and said at the time that he would be back in October, or November at the latest. He eventually backed off providing a public timetable.
Since the Ravens opened training camp this summer, Suggs has been a constant presence in the building. He's in meeting rooms each day getting the gameplan along with the rest of the defense.
"He has been in every meeting," Harbaugh said. "He is up to date with the football."
The 6-foot-3, 260-pound linebacker also appears to be making big strides physically. He's been shown on TV broadcasts dancing, jumping around and pumping up the crowd from the sidelines during recent victories over the Patriots and Browns.
Once Suggs is able to get back on the practice field, the next step will be getting in shape after not playing the game since last January.
"Football shape will be a factor," Harbaugh said. "As soon as he gets on the field, it's not like he is going to be back to Defensive Player of the Year form. We need to all understand that. Just give him a little space and let him kind of grow into this thing."
While it may take some time for Suggs to regain his form as an elite defender, Harbaugh expressed no doubts that his linebacker will return to action later this season. And that's good news for the Ravens.
"He is going to be back," Harbaugh said.
