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UPDATE: 2:04 p.m. Arrowhead Time (Tuesday)
Terrell Suggs is on his way to Kansas City, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
New Chiefs’ LB Terrell Suggs is on his way to Kansas City.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 17, 2019
UPDATE: 8:36 p.m. Arrowhead Time
Terrell Suggs is likely to report to the Chiefs, reports Yahoo! Sports’ Terez Paylor.
At the moment, my understanding is that Terrell Suggs will likely report to the Chiefs, per sources.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) December 17, 2019
Additionally, Suggs has informed the team he’s “ready to go,” I’m told. https://t.co/gUImsNJrIt
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) December 17, 2019
Reports: Chiefs claim Terrell Suggs, send Alex Okafor to injured reserve
The Kansas City Chiefs have claimed outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Former #AZCardinals pass-rusher Terrell Suggs was claimed by the #Chiefs, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2019
The acquisition makes plenty of sense for the Chiefs on the same day that news broke of the team losing Alex Okafor for the season due to his torn pec. ESPN’s Field Yates is reporting that Okafor is headed to injured reserve to make room for Suggs.
To make room for Terrell Suggs, the Chiefs have officially placed pass rusher Alex Okafor on IR, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 16, 2019
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Suggs, 37, has been in the league since he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Suggs made the Pro Bowl seven times with the Ravens and was named the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 2011. Suggs was a member of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII team.
Suggs spent his entire career with the Ravens before signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals this past offseason. But the Cardinals released him on Friday.
“It was mutual conversations as this thing went on,” Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said of his talks with Suggs. “Like I said, the respect was both ways. We know what he’s meant to this league, the Hall of Fame player he’s been, so we just wanted to have those conversations.”
In 13 games for Arizona this season, Suggs compiled 37 tackles (23 solo), eight tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and 5.5 sacks. He also forced four fumbles, recovering one. He has played both outside linebacker and defensive end during his NFL career.
ESPN reports on Friday speculated that Suggs would not report to a team other than the Ravens, given his history with the club. With that in mind, the Chiefs move to acquire Suggs is likely twofold — to help replace Okafor and ensure he doesn’t land with the Ravens, who would be considered at this time the Chiefs’ most significant threat to representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.
There has already been mixed speculation as to whether Suggs reports to the Chiefs. CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora suggested he may not, while Nate Taylor of The Athletic is suggesting he will.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that the Ravens did not even put in a claim for Suggs, given the team is “last in the order.” Rapoport added that the New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks also put in claims for Suggs.
This is interesting: Four teams attempted to claim pass-rusher Terrell Suggs — #Saints, #49ers, #Seahawks, and #Chiefs. And the #Ravens may have signed him if he was free.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2019
Here are some numbers of note from Pro Football Focus:
New #Chiefs Signing
— PFF KC Chiefs (@PFF_Chiefs) December 16, 2019
ED Terrell Suggs
• PFF Era (2006-19): 694 Pressures & 128 Sacks in 6,636 Pass Rush Snaps
• 2017-19: 168 Pressures & 27 Sacks in 1,384 Pass Rush Snaps
• 2019: 63.0 Overall, 74.4 Run Defense, 67.5 Pass Rush gradeshttps://t.co/eQoKvEmIss#ChiefsKingdom
and contract details courtesy of Spotrac:
Notable Waivers Claims
— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 16, 2019
The #Chiefs acquire OLB Terrell Suggs at $352,941 thru 2019, after which he’ll become a UFA.
The #Saints acquire CB Janoris Jenkins at $1,194,118 thru 2019, w/ a non-guaranteed $11.25M available in 2020.
Reactions
The Chiefs claiming Terrell Suggs feels a lot like when the Pats claimed James Harrison a few years ago. It's 353K for a proven pass rusher with veteran experience. I absolutely love the move especially after the Okafor news.
— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) December 16, 2019
The Chiefs adding Terrell Suggs either boosts their pass rush or at the very least prevents the Ravens’ pass rush from getting even stronger. Smart business by KC.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 16, 2019
Smart move by the Chiefs to claim Suggs. Not sure if the Ravens would have claimed him but he would have been interesting debate. Would the Ravens, who need another pass rusher, risk messing up team chemistry?
— Mike Preston (@MikePrestonSun) December 16, 2019
Kansas City DC Steve Spagnuolo was with Suggs in Baltimore in 2013 and '14. The Chiefs were 26th in the waiver order. https://t.co/PfikISZ8ni
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 16, 2019
The Chiefs claiming Suggs makes sense after losing Ogbah and Okafor. Even if he doesn’t report, it prevents him from joining the Ravens.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) December 16, 2019
For all the help he could've been in run defense (and in easing the load on Matthew Judon), Terrell Suggs doesn't have a full sack since Oct. 20 and hasn't made a tackle since Nov. 17.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) December 16, 2019
The Ravens defense will carry on without him.