Bruce Arians confirms Jason Pierre-Paul, Ndamukong Suh will play in 2022
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already watched Tom Brady and Ali Marpet retire over the last month or so. But that won't happen when it comes to free agents Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh. Bruce Arians confirmed such Tuesday when he spoke with reporters. Reporters asked Arians whether or not JPP and Suh would play […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already watched Tom Brady and Ali Marpet retire over the last month or so.
But that won't happen when it comes to free agents Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh.
Bruce Arians confirmed such Tuesday when he spoke with reporters. Reporters asked Arians whether or not JPP and Suh would play in 2022 and sure enough, Arians said both players told him they plan to play this year.
Whether or not that's in Tampa Bay is a different story, however.
Those two, along with Rob Gronkowski and Steve McClendon, are considered to be next in line when it comes to the possibility of retirement. The wild part is all four can still play, just like Brady and Marpet.
The Buccaneers would love to have JPP and Suh back, but their current cap situation along with their multitude of core free agents could keep that from happening. Per Overthecap.com, the Buccaneers are approximately $1.3 million over the cap. That doesn't include Marpet's retirement, however, which will help free up room.
Where Pierre-Paul and Suh rank on the Buccaneers' list of priorities will go a long way toward what happens between them. Both players have been very, very solid during their time in Tampa Bay. JPP is credited with changing the culture when the Bucs traded for him back in 2018. The same has even said about Suh, who essentially came in to replace former first-round pick Gerald McCoy in 2019. Both were also integral to the team's championship run in 2020.
Spotrac.com has JPP's market value right at $10 million per year, on average. The Bucs probably can't afford that unless they sign him to a multi-year deal, which isn't the best idea considering Joe Tryon-Shoyinka's presence on the roster. Suh's value should be around the same as the last couple years, where he made $8-$10 million in each season.
Only time will tell if both players don the pewter and red in 2022, but for now, we know they'll at least play somewhere this year.
Featured image via-Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
