Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has never missed a game due to injury in his NFL career. But that doesn’t mean the 12-year veteran has been fully healthy his entire career either. On Friday, Suh informed the world via Twitter that he played the 2021 season with a torn PCL in his knee. The 35-year old played all 17 games anyway.
Example:
My sport has a 100% injury rate and this past year I tore my PCL.
But I didn’t miss a game. Why?
My performance routine prepared me for this kind of thing, and allowed me to bounce back quickly.
— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) March 11, 2022
In the Twitter thread, Suh elaborated on how his training routine allowed him to play through injury. That’s no surprise. Head coach Bruce Arians has even referred to Suh as Tom Brady-like in his year-round discipline and training. In 2021, Suh played the lowest snap percentage of his career at 63 percent. But the defensive tackle still amassed 717 snaps on the season.
Despite being the second-oldest defensive tackle in the NFL, Suh doesn’t sound ready to retire. According to Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, the 3-time All-Pro wants to play at least one more season. Whether that season happens in red and pewter or not remains to be seen. Suh could have a decent number of suitors in free agency, and he’s often played for the highest bidder. However, he’s now married with twins, which could impact his desire to play elsewhere.
Free agent players are permitted to negotiate with teams on Monday starting at noon EST.