Getty Ndamukong Suh on the field before a 2021 Buccaneers game.
The Detroit Lions have made multiple big-time additions to their defensive line in the last few months, but that doesn’t stop some folks from dreaming about one big-name star coming back.
Ndamukong Suh still has some gas left in the tank in spite of the fact he’s aged a bit, and might still want to keep his NFL career going. To some, this only should make it more of a lock that the Lions give him a look to add to their defensive front.
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Suh revealed on Monday, June 20 his desire to keep playing, while admitting perhaps surprisingly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were “out of the picture” for signing him. That started the firestorm for several Lions fans of calling out to the Lions as well as Suh to rekindle their relationship.
Folks started to tweet at Suh asking for his return calling him a “missing piece” up front for the Lions.
@NdamukongSuh suh please come back to the lions you are the missing piece to our defensive line
Lions fans even brought back the time machine to share photos of Suh in his first jersey and beg for his return.
As some said, Suh could be seen as the classic Dan Campbell player, which might make him an excellent fit for the Lions.
@minakimes Name me a more Dan Campbell player. Bring him home, Lions.
Another fan wondered if Suh could figure in as a mentor for some of Detroit’s young defensive lineman on the roster.
@DumasMike @Lions @NdamukongSuh Very true, I wonder though with MCDC’s gameplan would he keep up but, would be nice and cool in a Miggy taking Tork and Greene under his wing Suh takes Hutch and Pashal under his wing
Obviously, there is still plenty of love for Suh within Detroit where he started his career. Whether the Lions, who already have a deep defensive front, would consider such a move remains to be seen.
It’s clear it won’t come without the fans’ approval if it happened.
Suh Starred With Lions to Start Career
It’s clear that Suh may have loved his time in Detroit, in addition to having appreciation for the team’s new coaching staff. In 2021, Suh opened up on Twitter about his time in Detroit, which was very interesting considering he hasn’t said much about the Lions since he departed after the 2014 season in free agency and typically doesn’t open up much on social media.
The Lions elected not to pay him and he seemed set on taking his talents to the Miami Dolphins where he cashed in on a huge contract. Arguably, Suh wasn’t the same dominating player he always was with the Lions after he left, even though he continued to put up stats and pile up accolades elsewhere.
When he landed in Tampa Bay, Suh continued to put up numbers, and has 790 tackles and 70.5 sacks in his NFL career. With the Lions, though, he made his biggest waves
When he started his career in Detroit, Suh played under Jim Schwartz and then briefly Jim Caldwell. If he were to come full circle to finish his career, it would be an interesting postscript to be sure.
Chances of Suh Return Lions Likely Slim
Suh has been playing on short-term deals for the last few seasons and managed to win the Super Bowl a few years back with the Buccaneers. Now that he’s a champion, it would be interesting to see if Suh would decide upon a return to Detroit if it was offered.
The Lions’ defensive line is a lot stronger in the trenches, and while they could use some veteran leadership like Suh would provide them, they also have a player who fills such a role already in Michael Brockers. For that reason, Suh might not make much sense realistically to sign with the Lions even if folks are excited to try and connect the dots.
Suh liked his time in Detroit, and with the benefit of hindsight, might see that it was the one place that truly felt like home in the NFL. Is that enough to bring him back eventually? Fans might want to see it, but it’s something that will likely have to remain seen as a long shot until it happens.
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