The NFL has no plan to suspend Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for multiple personal fouls (two were called; one wasn’t) committed on Thursday night in Baltimore. Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson, a 14-year veteran and a member of the NFL Players Association’s executive committee, seems to believe that the time has come for serious action.
“I think he’s crossed the line since he’s been in the league,” Watson said on Friday’s PFT PM podcast. “Years ago I was playing with the Browns and I remember him body slamming Jake Delhomme when he was in Detroit. I mean there’s been numerous times -- he’s stomped on Aaron Rodgers. There’s been numerous times where he’s done things that are totally unacceptable in our league and things that as a player we all go out there and give our best effort, we prepare, we provide for our families, this is our life’s work. And for someone to come out and do things outside of the game. He’s a dominant player, he’s a powerful player, he’s a guy who can totally take control of a game. He’s that guy that you have to say, ‘Hey, we have to make a certain protection for this guy’, because he’s that good of a defensive player. And so for him to go the extra mile and to do things to hurt people or maybe he thinks it’s intimidating people, there’s no place for it in the game and what he did last night is kind of his M.O. That’s what he’s been doing since he’s been in the league. He gets fined and keeps on going, and I hope the league looks at what he did last night and punish him accordingly.”
If there will be a punishment this time around, it will be a fine only. And that may not get Suh to stop doing what he’s been doing, including the application of a one-handed choke to Ravens quarterback Ryan Mallet. To truly get through to Suh, he’ll need to be suspended. And the suspension will have to withstand the appeal process.
