The Lions are catching a lot of flak after Taylor Decker split from the team. The OL's exit, which is highlighted by his claims of the team not reaching out to him after he made his decision, will remind fans of a similar exit.

Chris of Sports Talk Detroit shifted focus to Ndamukong Suh, who left the team in 2015. Before his departure, the former defensive tackle was still a consistent player, but failed negotiations over his future forced Suh to consider other options. But Chris threw light on the DT's rather controversial mannerisms on the field.

“I think he's super annoying,” Chris said. “Never liked him when he was here... dumb penalties." 

Suh built his career on power, disruption, and elite interior pressure. But alongside that production came a reputation for aggressive play that often drew penalties and league attention. 

In November 2011, while playing against the Cleveland Browns, Suh ripped Jay Cutler's helmet off while taking the quarterback down. He did the same once more in October 2012 by landing an illegal hit on the QB.

Suh was ejected from a Packers game when he stomped on guard Evan Dietrich-Smith's arm. He also kicked Matt Schaub once. In 2013, Nkamudong Suh was fined $100,000 for an in illegal hit on center John Sullivan. No wonder he had haters in his own team.

“He would he'd be out there blatantly kicking someone and just come in be like, "I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about," Chris continued.

That reputation likely followed him into contract negotiations, which is where the Taylor Decker similarity comes in. Before he left the Lions in March 2015, Suh and the teams to reach common ground on a long-term deal. Years later, the former Lion DT is still upset about this fallout.

Why Ndamukong Suh Exit Mirrors Challenges Taylor Decker Faces Now

Suh revealed in 2025 that the Lions were allegedly asking for a "hometown discount" from him during these negotiations. But according to him, he already gave them a discount when he was signed by the team, and he was told that he couldn't get paid more than the team's quarterback, Matthew Stafford.

"I said, 'ok, I’ll wait until my second contract, and then you can pay me more than him because I’ll prove to you that I’m worth it and more!" Suh said.

Now look at Taylor Decker. 

Decker was informed by the Lions, after he had announced he wanted to come back for the 2026 season, that he had to take a pay cut if he wanted to continue. Easily one of the best offensive linemen, Decker chose to fight for his worth.

Although both cases have many similarities, there is one thing to be noted. Decker played through injuries, and Suh created chaos in the field for the Lions. However, both were given ultimatums and had to risk their career by leaving Detroit.

What do you think of this weird parallel between the two players? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Afreen Kabir