Reunion between Detroit Lions, free agent Ndamukong Suh seems unlikely
Detroit Lions fans hoping for a reunion with Ndamukong Suh - and there are plenty out there - probably shouldn't hold their breath.
Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the possibility of re-signing Suh, one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in franchise history, with top defensive tackle Alim McNeill potentially out for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury.
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Asked Wednesday if the Lions have considered adding Suh, Campbell said general manager Brad Holmes has looked at "all" options.
"We haven’t overlooked anybody," Campbell said. "Brad, we got it all up there. We’ve looked at everybody. So at this moment, we’ve made the decision we felt like was best for us."
The Lions signed Tyson Alualu, a first-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010 - he went 10th overall, eight picks after the Lions drafted Suh - to their practice squad Tuesday, the same day they placed McNeill on injured reserve.
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McNeill will miss at least the next four games with a sprained knee.
The Lions (9-3) have a host of backup interior linemen - Levi Onwuzurike, Brodric Martin and Isaiah Buggs - who have played sparingly this season and will get the first crack at replacing McNeill.
Campbell said the Lions will bring Alualu along slowly, much like they did with Bruce Irvin after signing the edge rusher to the practice squad Nov. 15. Irvin made his Lions debut last week in a 33-28 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Suh, 36, has played for three different teams in the past five seasons while hunting Super Bowl rings, but has not played this season.
He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Lions, where he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and was a three-time first-team All-Pro, before leaving for a record-setting free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins. He played three seasons in Miami, the first in 2015 when Campbell finished the season as the Dolphins' interim head coach.
Known for his ferocious play and bad-boy image while with the Lions, Suh has 71.5 career sacks and started every game from 2018-21 both with the Los Angeles Rams for one season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three.
He won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2020, and has said he wants a second championship so he has a ring to give each of his two children.
Last year, Suh signed midseason with the Philadelphia Eagles and played the final eight regular season games as a backup. He played 11 snaps in the Super Bowl, which the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35.
Alualu, 36, played his first 13 NFL seasons with the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has 25 career sacks and can play both as a big defensive end and inside as a tackle.
"Honestly, it’s a guy who, he brings the floor," Campbell said. "He brings stability. And so, you kind of know what you’re going to get, exactly what you’re going to get. And that gives us comfort."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ndamukong Suh reunion with Detroit Lions seems unlikely
