One of the better defensive linemen in not only recent Lions history, but recent NFL history, Ndamukong Suh recently announced his retirement after 13 seasons, having been out of the league since playing part of the 2022 season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not long after his retirement, Suh is making headlines again, following a recent quote that has generated some buzz. Suh was looking back at his first free agency and, sharing on his Facebook page, said he believed he should have been paid more by the Lions than quarterback Matthew Stafford, feeling like he wasn’t valued as much by the Lions.
“Detroit, in my opinion, when I first came out, really gave me the short end of the stick,” Suh said, via CBS Sports. “I should have been paid more than Matthew Stafford, because I was the next first-round pick for them coming out in the draft and I felt like I was going to be a cornerstone for them, but they didn’t value me enough to say, ‘Hey, you’re not going to get paid more than our quarterback…'”
Suh captioned the Facebook post with the following:
I was a cornerstone of the Detroit Lions, just like Stafford, just like Calvin, but the pay never matched the weight I carried.
I wasn’t just a defensive tackle.
I was the guy offenses game-planned for.
I was the one of the guys setting the tone in the locker room and on the field.
And while quarterbacks get the big checks, I was the one putting my body on the line every play, chasing down QBs.
They built the offense around him,They built the identity of the defense around the Dline and me!
You don’t talk about the Lions of that era without mentioning Calvin Johnson or Matthew Stafford, myself and our Dline!
So yeah… I believed I should’ve been paid like them,
Because impact isn’t just about stats, it’s about presence, influence, folks wanting to play with you and for you !
Lesson…
If you’re carrying the load, on the field or in business, don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth.
Because being valuable and being valued are two different things!!!!
In five seasons with the Lions, Suh started 78 games in the regular season (all but two), recording 238 tackles and 36 sacks. He even had an interception his rookie season. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, went to the Pro Bowl four times and was a three-time First-team All-Pro while in Detroit.
Ultimately, the Lions did not pay him, as Stafford and Calvin Johnson were first in line for extensions, having both been drafted before Suh (Stafford in 2009, Johnson in 2007). Suh would sign a six-year, $114 million deal with the Miami Dolphins before the 2015 season. Suh would also go on to play for the Los Angeles Rams (2018), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-2021) and Philadelphia Eagles (2022).
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Ndamukong Suh believes he should have been paid more in Detroit than Matthew Stafford
Reporting by Billy Riccette, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
