Veteran defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is staying put. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 33-year-old free agent opted to resign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Suh reportedly had several big offers from a number of NFL teams, including San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens, but Bucs managed to keep him in Tampa. The five-times Pro Bowler inked a one-year, $8 million deal.
Having Suh in 2020 was one of the offseason priorities for Bucs’ head coach Bruce Arians, who recently said that he would like to roll with the same defense moving forward.
“I wanted the entire defense, if we could, to stay together,” said Arians on Wednesday. “They played so well together. Each piece of the puzzle knew each other. Suh was a big, big part of it. Not as much in the sack game as much as his interior pressure and the great job he did last year against the run.”
While failing to post head-turning numbers last season, managing 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks, Ndamukong Suh was still an integral part of Tampa Bay’s defense. He managed to impact the game in various ways while often being double-teamed by opponents. This, in return, enabled other Bucs’ defensive linemen to have more space to wreak havoc. The team finished the season seventh in sacks while allowing fewest rushing yards per game.
Prior to signing with Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, Suh also played with Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Rams. Besides five Pro Bowl appearances, he also has three First-Team All-Pro and two Second-Team All-Pro honors.
