After sitting out the first seven weeks of the NFL season, it looks like Ndamukong Suh is ready return to the field. Last season, Suh waited until November before signing with the Eagles, and it looks like he's operating on the same timeline this year.
With the NFL season inching closer to November, Suh has his eyes set on making a return and he wants to do it with a contender.
"It's got to be a team that's in the mix and you want to play with great athletes," Suh said this week on Sky Sports.
Although it's not clear yet where Suh will end up, he did reveal that he actually had some recent conversations with the Baltimore Ravens and he said the current AFC North leaders definitely showed some interest in possibly adding him.
"Some breaking news, last week it was the Ravens that spoke to me," Suh said. "They seem to be interested. They played great [on Sunday]. You never know."
The five-time Pro Bowler, who was in London doing commentary for Sky Sports over the weekend, is now headed back to the United States and that's when he'll make his decision.
"We'll see when we get back to the States," Suh sid. "Huddle up with the wife and family, get settled, and keep training."
If Suh does end up in Baltimore, that would be huge news for the Ravens, especially when you consider the fact that no free agent has been better than Suh at spotting future Super Bowl teams. The three-time All-Pro has played for three teams over the past five seasons -- Rams, Buccaneers and Eagles -- and ALL THREE of those teams made it to the Super Bowl at least once with Suh on their roster. Suh has been on the field for three Super Bowls since 2018 with one win, which came with the Buccaneers in 2020.
Although the 36-year-old could conceivably end up with any contender, he definitely sounds excited by the thought of the Ravens.
"You have Roquan Smith and all these great players," Suh said. "You got an amazing quarterback in Lamar Jackson. You never know. We'll see how the next two weeks go."
Suh might like the Ravens, but it sounds like he plans to talk to several other teams before making a decision.
"It's always exciting to have options, that's the key, and make decisions from there," Suh said.
Besides playing for a contender, Suh also seems to have one other criteria for his new team: He doesn't want to be spend very much time on the bench. The veteran wants to play somewhere where he can actually contribute.
"Really, it's just where's the right fit," Suh said. "Where's the right opportunity? Where can I actually go and add value? I don't just want to sit there and watch other guys be successful."
If Suh sticks to the same timeline as last year, he should have a new team by mid-November. Suh signed with the Eagles prior to Week 11 in 2022, so don't be surprised if he's found a new home by Thanksgiving at the latest.
Besides the Ravens, there are plenty of contending teams that would make some sense for Suh like the Seahawks, Bengals or a Bills team that has been dealing with multiple injuries on their defense. Suh might also have some interest in returning to Philadelphia or Miami, two teams he's already played for in his career.
Suh also mentioned that he talked to the 49ers last season and it wouldn't be a total surprise to see them at least reach out, considering how badly their defensive line got bullied against the Vikings on Monday night.
As far as cap space goes, the 49ers, Browns and Bengals currently have the most cap room in the NFL, according to Over the Cap. On the other hand, the Chiefs, Eagles and Dolphins all have under $4 million in cap space, so getting a deal done would take some salary cap gymnastics, but that doesn't mean it's not possible.
