Getty Ndamukong Suh during Super Bowl 53 with the Rams.
Former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh remains without an NFL home in 2023. He’s suited up for three different contenders at his last three stops, including L.A.
However, one NFL contender he’s familiar with recently rejected a possible reunion.
Lions Shut Down Potential Reunion With Ndamukong Suh
In an interview with Spencer Raxter of the Woodward Heavyweights podcast, former Detroit News columnist Terry Foster revealed Suh had expressed interest in a return to the Detroit Lions.
Such a move would’ve been a full-circle moment for Suh.
“Suh reached out to the Lions about playing here, but he reached out to like four or five other teams also,” Foster said on The Woodward Heavyweights podcast. “So, he made the initial offer about coming here. Suh has been in Detroit a lot over the last few months. He has investments here. He’s embracing this community more than he did when he was a player because when he was a player, he wanted to get the hell out of here.”
Foster further detailed Suh’s reported renewed interest in the Lions.
“But now I think he sees a Lions team that is confident, that can win and that he could be a guy that could be a 20 to 25 snap per game defensive tackle in that rotation. So he does have an interest in coming here,” Foster said.
Yet, Detroit “slammed the door shut” on a possible reunion, Foster said.
This signifies that old wounds still linger. The viewpoint of the Lions, per Foster, is that Suh didn’t fit the new culture in the Motor City and came off as a “me” persona.
Suh spent five seasons with the Lions before parting ways in March 2015. Suh established himself as an All-Pro but developed a penchant for bad behavior including earning fines and suspensions.
He later signed a mega six-year, $114 million deal with the Miami Dolphins. But Suh lasted just three seasons and was eventually released. The Rams later swooped him up in 2018 and became a beloved fixture of a Wade Phillips-led L.A. defense. Suh delivered 59 total tackles, 36 solo stops and 4.5 sacks.
Suh is best known for forming what fans called “the human traffic jam” with Aaron Donald for stuffing running lanes.
Rams Are Proving That Ndamukong Suh Isn’t Needed
One Rams defender is showing that there’s no need to add an extra defensive lineman. Including Suh.
Rookie Kobie Turner has emerged as an underrated impact defender. The former Richmond and Wake Forest defensive lineman has snatched 48 tackles, 24 solo stops and has punished five ball carries behind the line of scrimmage. Turner has also posted 5.5 sacks — enough to take second on the Rams.
Furthermore, Turner is only a half of sack behind the Rams’ current leaders Byron Young and Donald.
Turner’s presence has reignited the pass rush. Four different Rams have grabbed more than four sacks as Turner helps free them up. L.A. has tallied 29 sacks with four games left. They settled for 38 last year during the 5-12 campaign.
Turner had produced 3.5 sacks in the past two games before the Sunday, Dec. 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “The conductor” is already best known for swooping up two sacks against the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 26.