Three Former Ravens Headed to Super Bowl
When linebacker Terrell Suggs was waived by the Arizona Cardinals, there was talk that he only wanted to sign with the Ravens.
However, the Kansas City Chiefs had an earlier waiver claim and they picked up Suggs to boost their defense.
It could not have worked out better for both sides.
Suggs had a storied career in Baltimore and is the franchise's all-time sacks leader (132.5) and played in the most games (229) over his 16 seasons. He likely would have made impact with the Ravens had he re-signed with the team.
"We love 'Sizz' [Terrell Suggs] and everything that he did for us, but he left. And it hurt some of us, but we had to press forward," said Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon, who is a free agent this offseason.
Instead, Suggs is headed to the Super Bowl with Kansas City where he will match up with another pair of former Ravens — fullback Kyle Juszczyk and running back Raheem Mostert, both of who are key players for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Ravens selected Suggs with the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003. Suggs was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. He signed a two-year, $10 million deal as a free agent with his hometown Cardinals in the offseason. Suggs was later given the opportunity to play elsewhere after the team struggled and wanted to get a look at some younger players.
Kansas City seemed to be the perfect fit and now he has a chance to win his second Super-Bowl ring.
Suggs made his return to Baltimore earlier this season when the Ravens took down the Cardinals 23-17 in Week 2.
“It was bittersweet. It was good to be back, and it was great to play in the stadium where I played most of my career,” Suggs said after the game. “I really wanted to win, but this was the weirdest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
Juszczyk is widely regarded as the top fullback in the NFL. He was originally selected in the by the Ravens in the fourth round (130th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl three years later and was able to parlay that success into a massive, four-year, $21 million contract that included a $7 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $5 million with San Francisco, It wound up being a solid investment for the 49ers.
Mostert signed with the Ravens as a free agent in 2015. He played mostly on special teams, averaging 32.8 yards over five returns. He was waived in December and later signed with Cleveland.
“I was there for eight weeks already, and they decided they wanted to cut me after one game,” Mostert told NBC Sports. “I don’t know what the situation was. They decided they were going to cut me. I go into the office, and they tell me I’m being released and for me to go back home to my apartment. And they called me back in and said, ‘Ah, just kidding, we’re not going to release [you].’ ”
The journeyman found a home in San Francisco and finished the regular season with 772 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, He had his finest game a 37-20 victory over the Packers in the NFL championship, running for 220 yards — the second most in playoff history — and four touchdowns.
“I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers," he said after the game. "Now I get to tell them. Hey look where I’m at now. You know I never gave up on my dream.”
