Ndamukong Suh will have to wait and see if his appeal of the $100,000 fine that the NFL slapped on him for his hit in the Detroit Lions Week 1 34-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings is upheld. In the meantime his defensive coordinator doesn't want the defensive tackle to change his style of play.
According to USA Today Sports, Detroit defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham doesn't want the 6-foot-4, 307 pounder to change his aggressive style of play that has often gotten him into trouble with the league.
"I think you let him play," Cunningham said per USA Today Sports Friday as the Lions were preparing for a Week 2 matchup with the Cardinals in Arizona. "You see penalties every week in the league. I saw a couple in this game that I wish the officials would have seen, but they have enough work to do as it is. Things happen. I'm sure he's just going to keep playing and I'm not going to worry about those things."
Suh didn't have any sacks or tackles in the team's Week 1 game against Minnesota, but his low block on Vikings center John Sullivan after the Lions intercepted the football prompted the league to fine him $100,000 to send a message to him for being a repeat offender. Suh has begun the process of appealing the fine, and his grievance with the league's hefty tax on him was set to be heard Friday, but it was then announced that it would be postponed until a later date.
For now, Cunningham is hoping to utilize Suh in the same manner that he always has, and the coordinator even said he had no idea that Suh's hit on Sullivan was such a heavily debated topic until late last week due to scheming for the matchup with Arizona, which the Lions eventually dropped 25-21 Sunday.
"I didn't know about anything for a couple of days," Cunningham told USA Today Sports. "You come back in and you go to work. That happened, the league dealt with it, [head coach] Jim [Schwartz] dealt with it... I think he's a great player, a great person and I'm glad he's here and playing for us."
The NFL has stated that Suh will receive a suspension the next time an incident like this happens on the gridiron. For now, Suh is still able to actively play and he awaits his appeals process for his latest infraction. Suh had three tackles in the team's loss to Arizona Sunday.
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