Arizona Cardinals release pass rusher Terrell Suggs
Dec 13, 2019, 12:55 PM | Updated: 1:32 pm
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury announced Friday the team has released pass rusher Terrell Suggs.
“We’ve been having conversation as the season’s gone on, as his role has been reduced. We’ve kind of made the shift to playing some younger players, we’ve moved Haason (Reddick) out there,” Kingsbury said. “In fairness to him, to try and find a better fit right now, we released Terrell today. Just have so much respect for him and what he brought and just wanted to give him that opportunity (to find a new team).
“He was phenomenal in our building. Work ethic, energy, the juice he brought everyday, professionalism was through the roof.”
Suggs, 37, played in 13 games for the Cardinals this year. He had 37 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles this season for the Cardinals.
Kingsbury said the team had mutual conversations with Suggs leading into their decision to release him.
“We felt like it was the best move for both parties,” Kingsbury said.
Suggs has played over 60% of the Cardinals’ snaps in 11 of his 13 games, playing 77% in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cassius Marsh and Reddick will likely take over the share of snaps left in the wake of Suggs’ departure, though the Cardinals are working through who will be the primary outside linebacker opposite of Chandler Jones.
“It’s a shame to see what happened,” Reddick said. “He’s a great guy, great teammate. It’s sad to see that happen.
“Nothing but respect for Sizz.”
The Cardinals originally signed Suggs in mid-March to a one-year deal after he spent his entire prior NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens since he was drafted by them in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
Suggs, a product of Hamilton High School and Arizona State, has 138 career sacks, which currently has him ninth on the all-time leaderboards. With four more sacks, Suggs would move all the way up to sixth on the list.
Suggs will go through waivers on Monday.
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