Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) sits on the bench before the game against the New York Giants at Ford Field. Giants beat the Lions 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh received a ridiculously lucrative rookie contract even in comparison with the other high-priced deals draft picks received just before the new rookie wage-scale was enacted following the new CBA. Part of the reason why Suh received such an enormous deal was due to the work of his agent Roosevelt Barnes, who also put Suh in a position to earn a second huge payday earlier by making his 2015 season voidable. The 27-year-old DT still fired him, though, and it will be interesting to see who Suh hires as his next agent, as rumors have tabbed him to Jay-Z and Roc Nation.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Lions will start negotiating with Suh again once he hires a new agent, which isn’t surprising at all. I mean, why on earth would both sides start negotiating without an agent there? I’m guessing this has more to do with Suh wanting to wait than the Lions, but I’m sure the Lions don’t want to talk with the DT until his agent choice is clear (whether it be Jay-Z or a more “traditional” option).
Suh is one of the best defensive players in the game, and he’s cleaned up his act despite the pervading narrative that he’s still one of the most dirty players in the NFL. That appearance wasn’t helped by Heath Evans’s erroneous report, which has since been refuted by Jim Schwartz himself as well as several other Lions players, that Suh was a headcase in an effort to show power over the team’s former head coach.
We’re going to see Ndamukong Suh making mega bucks over the next few years, as both sides will almost certainly come to terms to a long-term deal this offseason. I want to see just how much he makes, because his deal will decide deals given to other top-notch DTs, most notably Gerald McCoy, who is an elite DT from the same class as Suh. And despite not having as big of a name as Suh, McCoy has been even better.
Maybe the most significant thing about Rapoport’s report is the fact that Suh hasn’t yet decided on an agent, so the hiring of Jay-Z hasn’t happened.