Veteran linebacker who only wanted to play for the Ravens after being cut says he was convinced to join the Chiefs because it was like a 'lottery ticket'
- Veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs was claimed off of waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs in December after being waived by the Arizona Cardinals.
- Suggs had reportedly wanted to return to the Baltimore Ravens, threatening to hold out if any other team picked him up.
- Suggs ultimately decided to join the Chiefs after someone close to him said he may have gotten a "lottery ticket."
- Suggs called winning the Super Bowl on Sunday sweeter than his first Super Bowl because of his rocky journey this season.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Veteran NFL linebacker Terrell Suggs hit the lottery when he joined the Kansas City Chiefs in December.
Suggs, 37, joined the Arizona Cardinals during the offseason but was cut in December after just 13 games. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on December 14 that Suggs only wanted to be claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent the first 16 years of his career.
Schefter reported that Suggs would "strongly consider not reporting if a team other than the Baltimore Ravens claims him."
However, the Ravens were 12-2 at the time, first in the NFL, and thus, the last in the waiver order. The Chiefs ended up claiming Suggs, bolstering their defensive depth ahead of the playoffs.
Suggs told ESPN's Adam Teicher upon joining the Chiefs that he was convinced to report to the team after a conversation with head coach Andy Reid.
"I was really uncertain about my future last week, but I talked to Coach and it was a brief conversation and I was like, 'OK' ... It's hard to turn down [playing with] the reigning MVP [Patrick Mahomes] and a playoff team and just the exciting things they're doing, this atmosphere.''
It paid off for Suggs, who on Sunday won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, playing 52% of the snaps and totaling two tackles.
After the game, Suggs told Sportsnet that he was convinced to join the team because it was like a "lottery ticket."
"Everyone told me, Sizzle, you may have got a lottery ticket," Suggs said of being claimed by the Chiefs. "You may have picked up a lottery ticket.
"I was real reluctant, real nervous about joining the team, wasn't sure I was going to fit in. And Coach Reid assured me, like, 'Sizzle, you're going to fit in here.'"
Suggs said the win in Super Bowl 2020 may have been sweeter than his first Super Bowl win (in 2012 with the Ravens) "considering how my season started."
Suggs added: "I'm just honored to be a part of this journey ... This team had tremendous chemistry. Like I said, I'm just honored to be a part of this team that's just rolling like this, that had so much momentum."
Suggs is a free agent at the end of the season. He told reporters after the game that he hasn't made any decisions about his future yet.
- Read more:
- It's becoming clear the Chiefs never panicked when they trailed late in the Super Bowl, and it was thanks to one reason: Patrick Mahomes
- Patrick Mahomes sparked the Chiefs' Super Bowl comeback by telling Andy Reid which play to call in the most important moment of the game
- The Chiefs ran a trick play in the Super Bowl that they stole from a Rose Bowl game 70 years ago
- Andy Reid paused his Super Bowl celebration to compliment Randy Moss on his parenting and ask for his son to play for the Chiefs