Nobody Should Claim Terrell Suggs Just so the Cardinals Get Stuck With Rest of His Salary
By Michael Luciano
One of the most vicious pass rushers of the last 20 years might not play another down of football in 2019.
The Arizona Cardinals made the surprising decision to part ways with starting outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. Suggs was given a $4 million signing bonus at the beginning of the season, and any team willing to claim him would need to pay a portion of his $3 million salary, decreasing the chances he catches on.
The #Cardinals gave Terrell Suggs a $4 million signing bonus in March and owe him the rest of his $3M guaranteed salary if he's not claimed. Now, cut. Any team claiming Suggs would owe him only the prorated portion of that $3M salary for rest of 2019.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 13, 2019
Steve Keim continues to find new ways to trip over himself, and the NFL world shouldn't let him off the hook.
Suggs, an Arizona native, paired nicely with Chandler Jones on the edge this season, as he forced four fumbles and recorded 5.5 sacks in his age-37 season. This comes after 16 legendary seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Drafted 10th overall in 2003 after recording 24 sacks in his last year of college at Arizona State, he piled up 132.5 sacks, forced 33 fumbles, made seven Pro Bowls, and won a ring in 2012 with the Ravens.
Suggs should end up in Canton, but his last moment in the NFL might come as a player who was waived and deemed radioactive because of the financial implications.
Terrell Suggs had started all 13 games for the Cardinals this season, recording 5.5 sacks and 4 FF. If a team were to claim him on Monday, it would owe Suggs $353K for his final two weeks of salary for this season.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 13, 2019
Suggs just didn't look right in the bright red of the Cardinals. This could be an anticlimactic end to his career, but that shouldn't diminish that Sizzle was one of the premier pass rushers of the last few decades.