Ndamukong Suh: "I don't know where I'm going to be next year."

Maybe it’s premature to think Ndamukong Suh is as good as gone from Detroit?

Then again, maybe it’s not.

The center piece of the Detroit Lions No.1 ranked defense is defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. Suh is a former No.2 overall pick of the Lions back in 2010, but is in the final year of his rookie contract this season. Suh and the Lions tabled contract talks prior to the beginning of the current season, allowing both sides to focus solely on football.

The reality then becomes the fact that the best DT in the game, may suit up for a team other than the Lions next year. Suh, along with new agent Jimmy Sexton, may test the free-agent market next year.

They may also re-sign with Detroit. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Suh did however recently speak on his contract status for 2015, via USAToday Sports:

"“The way I look at it, I’m in my last year of college ball. I don’t know where I’m going to be next year. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a part of growing up. In college ball, you have five great years, or four great years, and you go from there.”"

That doesn’t sound very promising.

It doesn’t however have deter Lions team president, Tom Lewand.

"“Nothing that we said in July hasn’t come to fruition,” Lewand told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s unfolding like we expected it to. He’s had a very good year. We’re 7-2. We don’t know what would have been happening if we had been trying to talk contract through August, September, and if it didn’t work out, would that had become a distraction? Would we be in the same spot? I don’t know.”"

When asked if he agreed with the notion of cutting off the talks in July, Suh had this to say:

"“Yeah. Gotta focus on football. The season is the most important thing. That’s how you’ve always got to look at it, whether you’re on a long-term contract or a short-term contract.”"

Is that really the case though?

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Fellow defensive lineman J.J. Watt and Gerald McCoy both stuck new deals early on this season. Watt’s deal was $100 million over six years and McCoy‘s deal was for $95 million over five years. Both long-term extensions reached during the regular season. But then again, the Buccaneers and the Texans aren’t 7-2 either.

Coiencidentaly, Suh is also playing the best football of his career.

He has matured into a better leader and certainly changed the narrative after being cast for years as one of the NFL’s dirtiest players. In 2014, he has zero fines this and just three penalties (two for being offsides). He was fined eight times in previous years and suspended for two games in 2011 for bashing an opponent’s head into the turf on Thanksgiving.

He’s still dominant, but controlled.

Ndamukong Suh: “I don’t know where I’m going to be next year.”

By Nate Williams | Nov 14, 2014

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