NFL: Ndamukong Suh Has Been Suspended 2 Games Without Pay

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been suspended two games without pay for shoving Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s head, stomping on him and then not owning up to it in his post-game comments on Thanskgiving.

The NFL announced Suh’s suspension Tuesday, saying this was his fifth violation

Suh called commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday night to apologize for his behavior during Detroit’s loss to Green Bay, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Lions are expected to issue the maximum $25,000 fine allowable under the new CBA for a player being ejected from a game. Team president Tom Lewand has been in communication with league officials. If Suh is suspended, the Lions also would have to pay a $50,000 fine because team members will have been fined more than $100,000.

Immediately after Thursday’s game, Suh defended himself, saying he was trying to keep his balance while freeing himself from the brief scuffle. He publically apologized to teammates, coaches and fans Thursday for “allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game,” but he insisted he didn’t intentionally step on anyone.

“People are going to have their own opinions — that’s fine,” he said after the game. “The only (people) that I really care about are my teammates, my true fans and my coaches and their opinions, and that’s where it lies. And honestly, the most important person in this whole thing that I have to deal with is the man upstairs.”

Suh reversed course Friday night, apologizing on his Facebook page.

“My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable,” Suh said in a statement on his Facebook page. “I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand — by winning.”

The NFL once suspended former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth five games for stomping on the head of then-Cowboys center Andre Gurode, but the feeling around the league is that Suh’s most recent act, which resulted in him being ejected from Thursday’s Thanksgiving game against the Packers, was not as egregious.

-ESPN