The NFL is reportedly planning to discipline defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for his illegal low block on Vikings center John Sullivan during an interception return in Detroit’s season-opening win over Minnesota.
That should sit well with Sullivan. During an interview with Paul Allen of KFAN on Monday, Sullivan said it was “pretty clear” that he was out of the play when Suh blocked him. Suh said that he wasn’t trying to hit Sullivan, who had microfracture surgery on his left knee in the offseason, but Sullivan said that Suh’s history should factor into any determination of punishment.
“I don’t think he was trying to hurt me,” Sullivan said. “But there need to be consequences when guys don’t respect the careers of other players.”
We’re inclined to agree with Sullivan. A player’s past history should be part of the calculation when coming up with punishment for an illegal hit and players with a lengthy history of crossing the line should be punished more severely as a result.
We should find out if the league agrees with that take in the coming days.