Suh Wins Appeal, Will Play Against Dallas
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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — A day after being suspended for Detroit’s upcoming wild card game against Dallas, Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh won his appeal and will play in the teams playoff game on Sunday.
The decision, handed down by appeals officer Ted Cottrell, came on Tuesday but also carried with it some bad news.
Suh was fined $70,000 for stepping on the injured leg of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Sunday’s regular season finale. Cottrell agreed with league official Merton Hanks that Suh violated the player-safety policy but opted to reduce the penalty instead of uphold it.
“The only thing I can say is if you step on something in your everyday life or if you step on somebody on the field, the first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands or maybe pulling your foot back right away, and I’m just not sure that’s what happened on Sunday,” Rodgers said Tuesday.
The four-time Pro Bowler may also have a new guideline to thank for his ability to compete in the postseason. Due to a modified repeat offender policy, players are taken off the “repeat offender” list 32 weeks after their previous violation. For Suh, that came in Week 1 of 2013 when he was fined $100,000 for an illegal chop block on Minnesota Vikings player John Sullivan. The 32-week reprieve game after Week 16, and included two preseason games.
In his five seasons, Suh has been penalized 38 times, more than any other player in the NFL since 2010, and has also been fined in excess of $200,000.
The Lions visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the NFC’s wild card round. It is the first postseason appearance by Detroit since 2011.
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