Underappreciated Ndamukong Suh remains available
The second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft has enjoyed a solid career. And reliable defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is still on the open market.
In 2010, the then-St. Louis Rams used the first overall pick in the draft on University of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Moments later, the Detroit Lions used the second selection to nab University of Nebraska defensive terror Ndamukong Suh.
There would be five seasons in the Motor City. And more than a decade ago, the league was still shelling out big money to first-round selections.
Suh would sign a $65.39 million deal with the Lions (via Spotrac), earn NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2010, total a combined 36 sacks, and was not only a four-time Pro Bowler but a three-time All-Pro.
But five seasons in the Motor City would be followed by three years in South Florida as the powerful defender inked a massive six-year $114.735 million contract with the Dolphins in 2015.
He would spend three years with the club and was part of Miami’s last playoff appearance in ’16. He joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 via a one-year deal and wound up in Super Bowl LIII.
Suh was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the past three seasons and was a big part of a defense that dominated in 2020 on the way to winning Super Bowl LV. Now with training camps opening up around the NFL, he’s still searching for a new employer.
Yes, the 12-year pro has been at the center of on-the-field controversy too many times. And he hasn’t earned either Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors since 2016. But what he has given the teams he has played for is not only consistency but reliability.
What goes under the radar is that with the exception of his two-game suspension during his second year in the league in 2011, Ndamukong Suh has not missed a game. And that’s 191 outings and starts out of a possible 193 opportunities.
Make it 70.5 career sacks and nine fumble recoveries (3 for touchdowns) for the 12-year pro. And also add seven quarterback traps in 12 postseason tilts with the four clubs he played with.
There were recent rumbling that the Cleveland Browns were interested in Suh. But Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com disputes that. In any case, it’s somewhat hard to fathom that the sturdy performer won’t be on an NFL roster in 2022.