Terrell Suggs absence might indicate thoughts of retirement

Where has Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs been all season long? After tearing his Achilles tendon in week one against the Denver Broncos, the potential Hall of Fame linebacker has been mysteriously absent from the team. Could that mean that we've seen the last of him in black and purple?

In a season where his team and teammates needed him more than ever, Suggs was presumably at home in Arizona. A 5-11 finish with the Ravens seeing 20 players go to injured reserve, Suggs' veteran leadership and presence on the sideline would have done wonders for the various young players that were seeing their first action and they first struggles. Having one of the team leaders be at a few practices could have been the thing that propelled players like Za'Darius Smith, Carl Davis, and others to play better earlier or even just benefited their future development by learning from a master directly.

The only time we saw Suggs was on the sideline against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game the Ravens won showing a ton of heart that was absent all season long by the way. It had even been reported that general manager Ozzie Newsome had heard little from his player.

On Monday when players were cleaning out their lockers for the final time this season, wide receiver Steve Smith was asked if he has talked to Suggs about his rehab given that both are recovering from the same injury. Smith's answer gave us a little insight into what the linebacker is thinking.

Suggs is a little vulnerable right now. So, I'm not going to talk to Suggs about it. He's not a ray of sunshine like he usually is.

Since this is Suggs' second Achilles tear, something that no one has ever fully recovered from, I can understand why he might not be super happy right now. He's 33 and facing arguably the toughest thing he will have to face in his professional career to continue playing. Might his absence be more of him contemplating his retirement though?

Elvis Dumervil isn't entirely sure either.

You can ask Terrell Suggs that question.

Suggs strikes me as a player that wouldn't want to come back half way. It would be all or nothing for him with football and he has clearly been seeing the end. In training camp, we saw a different version of the linebacker we all know and love, one more introspective of his career and the flickering of the torch.

When you get in the teens, you kind of just take it year-by-year, how your body felt, especially when you've got a team like this and you do some special things

I'm definitely on the back nine. You can't say, "Oh man, this is Suggs 2011, even though he had a good year last year.' Like I said, I think things change and situations are different, I see things different. How I'm preparing now is different. It's different now. [Year] 13 is definitely different.

With this latest injury, one that has him still in the walking boot that wide receiver Steve Smith shed last week despite being injured far later into the season, it might be the perfect wake up call to a guy that doesn't need the money and might not have his heart in it any longer.