Ndamukong Suh believes he should have been paid more in Detroit than Matthew Stafford
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).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Cowboys give $52M, 4-year deal to player who 'set a new record for worst' TE season ever
The Dallas Cowboys' extension machine works on both ends of the spectrum equally. While most of the attention is paid to the front office's wait-and-get-played strategy that routinely has had them setting or blowing up the market with extensions for players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and soon-to-be Micah Parsons, the team also dabbles in making deals with players who don't have much leverage. Sometimes that takes the form of a deal after three years for Ezekiel Elliott, and other times it looks like the extension given to Jaylon Smith. On Sunday, as the second week of 2025 training camp gets underway, the team has announced a deal with a player many thought would wait until he's re-established himself as a league star, risking him to the open market. Tight end Jake Ferguson, who a year after making the Pro Bowl had a disastrous campaign, has agreed to a four-year extension worth $52 million. The deal contains $30 million in guarantees. The $13 million average salary for the four new years slots Ferguson as the No. 7 highest-paid TE in the league, sandwiched in between David Njoku in Cleveland and Cole Kmet in Chicago. The 49ers George Kittle and Cardinals' Trey McBride set the pace for the position making $19.1 million and $19 million, respectively. Ferguson's $30 million in guarantees also ranks seventh for the position. He was getting ready to play in the final year of his rookie contract for $3.4 million after being a fourth-round pick (No. 129 overall) in 2022. Assuming the deal lowers his base salary to league minimum of $1.1 million, his cap hit is going to basically remain the same, under $4 million. Ferguson suffered an early season injury last year and had what some consider the statistically worse season ever for a tight end, according to Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz. Ferguson's record-low DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) number was fueled by a ton of drops and fumbles, and having no touchdowns to show for a ton of targets. There's been plenty of scuttlebutt this offseason about second-year tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford surpassing 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker on the depth chart and potentially emerging as the team's No. 1 TE in the very near future. However Ferguson has appeared to be back to his old self as he's reunited with QB Dak Prescott and reclaimed the throne despite Spann-Ford's progress from a up-and-coming blocking tight end into a well-rounded weapon. Ferguson did not fair well as the only other viable passing option after CeeDee Lamb in 2024, as defenses gave him bracket coverage. The addition of George Pickens to the offense should allow Ferguson to thrive again, and set him up for a highly productive 2025 campaign. The Cowboys' front office appears to believe what they are seeing and rather than waiting on a return to Pro Bowl status that would hike Ferguson's asking price, finalized the deal without impacting their 2025 cap space they can roll over to next season.
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Iowa football shares unique behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten media days
This must be why they call it the entertainment capital of the the scenes from Vegas 🎬#Hawkeyes x #B1GMediaDays As Iowa football experienced its first conference visit to Las Vegas on Thursday for the 2025 Big Ten media days at the Mandalay Bay Resort, the Hawkeyes released a unique behind-the-scenes look at the annual preseason event. While Iowa's group of representatives, which included head coach Kirk Ferentz, defensive back Koen Entringer, defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett, and offensive lineman Logan Jones, had to wait until the last day of the three-day event to make their appearance, the Hawkeyes were still able to enjoy the spotlight in Sin City. In a behind-the-scenes video posted on their social media platforms, the program provided a very personable view of the proceedings through the lens of the three current athletes accompanying Ferentz. The video captured every aspect of Thursday's 2025 Big Ten media days appearance, spanning from the flight to Las Vegas to the humorous questions asked by the players to their soon-to-be 70-year-old head coach. As the Hawkeyes enter the 2025-26 campaign with an improving offense to pair with their top-tier defense, Iowa could be primed for a magical season fans have been dreaming of. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams is switching positions with Raiders
Safety seems like it's been a busy position for the Raiders this offseason. They gave Isaiah Pola-Mao a long term extension and their only free agent addition to sign more than a one-year deal was safety Jaremy Chinn, seemingly giving them two new starters to replace the losses of Tre'von Moehrig and Marcus Epps. Then the same day they added Chinn, they also signed Lonnie Johnson Jr. So, they seemed set. And yet just prior to the first day of camp they also added safety TJ Scott and former Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams. Now, suddenly they were looking at a logjam at safety. But when Adams took the field, he was working with the linebackers instead. The 6-1, 213-pounder is trying to make a comeback after splitting last season between the Titans and the Lions' practice squad. And his former Seahawks head coach sees a change of positions is the best way to accomplish that. "I told him right off the bat, I want him to play inside," Carroll said of Adams. "He's always been so instinctive and so aggressive and such a run-through guy, been a fantastic blitzer over his time. So, I want to put him in position to do that. So, he's jumped right into the WILL spot, and that gives us some flexibility that we're going to grow with. He looks really good. He had a real serious injury a bit ago. He looks like he's back. Weighing a little bit more than he was before, he fit just right. I'm really anxious to see how he takes it." Linebacker has also been completely overhauled this offseason for the Raiders. Former starters Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo were allowed to leave in free agency. They then seemingly replaced them with former Steelers MLB Elandon Roberts and former Bucs OLB Devin White. Now both Roberts and White have some competition with the additions of Adams and former Bengals LB Germaine Pratt. Carroll has preached competition. He wasn't lying.
