Despite not being under contract for the 2019 season, Suggs openly talked about his excitement for the upcoming campaign. But could he have already played his last game in purple and black?

“It may be. I hope not,” Suggs said. “I hope to be a Raven for life. I feel like I still got some juice in the tank. I would love to be a Raven for life. It’s up to them.”

Suggs has played all 16 years of his NFL career with the Ravens since they selected him 10th overall in the 2003 draft. His 229 games and 132.5 sacks are franchises, and he’s missed just one game in the past three seasons.

Suggs has been the heart and soul of the Ravens defense for years, and he helped lead them to their first division championship in six seasons. Alongside Pro Bowlers C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle, he helped the Ravens finish with the league’s best total defense (292.7 yards per game) and second-best scoring defense (17.9 points per game).

How much does Suggs have left in the tank?

Off-the-field impact can be hard to measure, although Suggs has still been productive as he heads towards his late-30s. But if he returns, he would likely be the third-oldest defensive player in the NFL behind Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake and Carolina Panthers safety Mike Adams, although Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers may return for an 18th season.

In some ways, 2018 was a down year for him, since his seven sacks was his lowest total since 2009 if you leave out his injury-shortened 2012 and ’15 seasons. Still, though, that was tied for the 37th-best mark in football.

Suggs still picked up 13 tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hits, which are in line with his career averages. His 34 total tackles and single forced fumble were also on the low end for him, but that’s still a productive season, especially considering his age.

Can the Ravens afford to bring him back?

The Ravens are heading into free agency with about $35 million in cap space, which is around league average, but they could open another $10 million by cutting longtime quarterback Joe Flacco.

Locking fellow free agent linebacker Mosley into a long-term will likely be a higher priority, but Baltimore shouldn’t have any issue fitting Suggs under the cap if they want. Suggs may not take home the $4-plus million he’s made each of the last four years, considering his age, but he’s made it clear he wants to keep playing and ideally stay.

“We’re just going to enjoy it and hope it we can work it out,” Suggs said. “But if not, I’m gonna be lining up somewhere next year. ”

Of course, Suggs does mean a lot to the franchise one of the last few members remaining from the Super Bowl XLVII team. Flacco is likely not long for the team, while cornerback Jimmy Smith was in his second year with the Ravens when they won it all. The only other players are Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda and special teamers Justin Tucker, Sam Koch and Morgan Cox.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs hopes to return to Baltimore next season. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) More

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