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About the Author: Matt Matera
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The Tampa Bay Bucs have stuck to their word about bringing back all of their high-profile players, as they are nearing an agreement with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on a one-year, $9 million deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The deal is fully guaranteed and contains incentives.
Five-time Pro Bowl DT Ndamukong Suh is closing in with the #Bucs on a one-year deal worth $9 million fully guaranteed plus incentives, per source.
Entering Year 12, Suh has made an impact on and off the field in Tampa. Another big piece of the title team back to go for two.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 24, 2021
This will be Suh’s third year with the Bucs and 12th season in the NFL with aspirations to win another Super Bowl championship. He was such a valuable member of the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV winning team, especially when fellow defensive tackle Vita Vea broke his ankle in Week 4 and didn’t return until the NFC Championship game. It was Suh that picked up the slack and recorded six sacks, which were his best numbers since the 2015 season, and added another 1.5 in the Super Bowl victory over Kansas City.
It doesn’t come as a total shock that Suh is back in red and pewter. Reports came out that he did intend to play this season and his desire was to be on a playoff team. Bucs general manager Jason Licht even commented on the Pewter Report Podcast that feeling was mutual between both parties and they wanted him to stay with Tampa Bay. After the Bucs re-signed some heavy hitters during the first wave of free agency such as Shaq Barrett and Rob Gronkowski, it was Suh that was up next.
Re-signing Suh keeps the Bucs’ defensive line as the best in football with Vea and Suh in the middle. Even at age 34, Suh hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down, and after a great year where he averaged around playing 75 percent of the defensive snaps in a game, he won’t need to average that same amount next season with Vea there. The Bucs re-signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches recently, keeping the same depth on the roster behind Suh.
With expectations of drafting a defensive lineman in the early rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft, he can also be a mentor to a rookie as well while also dominating on the defensive line again. The Bucs front office has made many moves this offseason to clear up enough salary cap room to go for a second straight puzzle. Keeping Suh is another check mark in Tampa Bay’s offseason plans.
