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A familiar face was seen observing the training camp of the Detroit Lions on Wednesday. Former defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who recently announced his official retirement, visited the squad, which is coming off an impressive campaign last season.
Safe to say, it was a bittersweet moment for Suh. To recall, his exit from the Lions in 2014 was acrimonious as the team refused his demand for a bigger salary after taking a pay cut in his rookie deal. He eventually signed a six-year, $114 million contract with the Miami Dolphins. At that time, he was the highest-paid defensive player in league history.
Despite his testy history with the Lions, Suh acknowledged that he will always like being in Detroit.
“First time back in this building since I was kicked out, for lack of better words. But yeah, it’s always a warm welcome when I come into the city, which is like a breath of fresh air,” said Suh in a report from Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett.
Suh was drafted by the Lions as the second overall pick in 2010. While in Motown, he became a three-time All-Pro First Team member and five-time Pro Bowler.
He stressed that he didn't want to leave Detroit, but he said the squad left him with no choice as he prioritized his future.
“Really, the most upsetting piece was that, when I look back and reflect on that, I remember vividly, I just left church and my agent called me and he's like, ‘We got a done deal, exactly what you want in Miami. What do you want to do with Detroit?” added Suh.
“I said, ‘Give them an opportunity to match, even though I'll take less money because of taxes and all those particular pieces going into it, I want to give an opportunity to match.'”
But as they say, time heals all wounds, and the issue is water under the bridge for Suh and the Lions.
After a three-year stint with the Dolphins, he played five more years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
