Suggs acknowledged the struggles of the defense and season-ending injuries to linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb do cross his mind in weighing the pros and cons of when he’ll be ready to make his return.
“It’ll always be out there in your mind,” Suggs said. “You want to be out there with your brothers, especially when you lose your big brother [Lewis]. It’s always going to be there, but at the end of the day, we have to do what’s best not only for myself, but for the team.”
Even with the defense needing a boost from the return of one of the best players in the NFL, free safety Ed Reed made it clear he doesn’t want to see his teammate come back too early with an extra week of rest looming after the Houston game.
Reed began the 2010 season on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from offseason hip surgery. He returned for the Ravens’ seventh game of the regular season, but his recovery timetable was much shorter than the expected one for Achilles tendon surgery.
“Of course we need him, we want him out there on the field,” Reed said. “But, we don’t want him to come out and get hurt again trying to rush to be back on the field. It takes time.”
Regardless of whether he makes a miraculous return against the Texans or waits until next month, it’s apparent Suggs is back in his element on the practice field, playing coy with photographers at practice and clowning around with longtime teammate Ed Reed on Wednesday.
It’s been a difficult six-month stretch for the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker, who has watched the Ravens begin the season with a 5-1 record, their best start since their Super Bowl championship season in 2000. Even with the defensive struggles, Baltimore’s record has made it easier for Suggs to remain focused on his rehabilitation and not on trying to rush back to the field too quickly.
But it’s clear the franchise’s all-time sacks leader is itching to return, even if it won’t be Sunday against the Texans.
“It’s been miserable. It’s like being the kid that can’t go out and play,” Suggs said. “You get to see all your friends out and you’re stuck in the house.”
Listen to Terrell Suggs’ entire conversation with the Baltimore media in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault HERE.
