National Football League

Suh wins appeal, will play Sunday against Dallas

Published Dec. 30, 2014 5:29 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Ndamukong Suh won his appeal with the NFL, a rarity in the league, and will be able to play in Sunday's playoff game at Dallas.

The NFL confirmed Tuesday that Suh's one-game suspension had been downgraded to a $70,000 fine.

The incident in question came late in Sunday's regular-season finale when Suh, an All-Pro defensive tackle for the Lions, stepped on the leg of Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The appeal was heard by Ted Cottrell, an independent arbitrator who is appointed and compensated by both the league and the players association, to rule on such hearings concerning on-field player discipline.

Cottrell was also the arbitrator when Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed's one-game suspension was rescinded in 2012. That was the last time an appeal on this nature had been won by a player.

Ironically, Reed was on the NFL Network Tuesday saying that he thinks Suh's suspension should have been upheld.

The reversal came a day after Merton Hanks, the league's vice president of football operations, had announced the suspension.

In a letter to Suh, Hanks wrote, "You did not respond in the manner of someone who had lost his balance and accidentally contacted another player who was lying on the ground. This illegal contact, specifically the second step and push off with your left foot, clearly could have been avoided."

 Hanks added: "You unnecessarily stepped on your opponent's unprotected leg as he lay on the ground unable to protect himself."

The NFL release on Monday included the explanation from Hanks. Tuesday's announcement had no comment from Cottrell.

In his five seasons in the NFL, Suh has now been penalized around $450,000, which includes a two-game suspension without pay in 2011 for stomping on another Green Bay player.

The oddity of the whole controversy was that the league viewed Suh as basically a first-time offender despite his multiple incidents form the past.

That's because a new rule gives a player a clean slate once he goes 32 games without another on-field issue.

The last time Suh had been fined was the opening game last season. He went the final 15 games of 2013 without incident, was given credit for two preseason games per NFL rules, and then the first 15 games this season.

In other words, last Sunday was the first game in which he would be judged again on that clean slate.

That obviously didn't matter to Hanks, who thought the incident by itself deserved a suspension, but it might have been a factor with Cottrell.

Either way, the Lions will be elated to have arguably their best player available when they try to win a playoff game for the first time since 1991.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League