The Detroit Lions will have Ndamukong Suh on the field for Sunday's Wild Card matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Suh won his appeal Tuesday of the one-game suspension handed down for stepping on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Sunday's loss to the Packers. Appeals officer Ted Cottrell reduced the ban to a $70,000 fine.
According to NFL Media's Judy Battista, Suh was considered a first-time offender by the repeat offender policy, modified in 2014. Since the Detroit defender went 32 straight games without a player-safety violation, which includes the postseason and preseason, he earned a clean slate.
After Suh knocked Rodgers over in the fourth quarter, replays showed Suh taking two steps backward, with both feet landing on the injured area between the star passer's ankle and calf. During his weekly radio appearance on WAUK-AM in Milwaukee, Rodgers made it clear he believed Suh intentionally attempted to cause further damage to his calf.
"If you step on somebody, the first reaction seems to be apologizing or looking back and I'm not sure that's what happened," Rodgers said.
Suh served a two-game suspension in 2011 after he stomped on the arm of then-Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. One year later, Suh was fined $30,000 by the NFL for kicking then-Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin. Since 2010, the All-Pro has been fined eight times for player-safety violations, including Tuesday's tax.
Suh is the Lions' best defensive player, and his absence would have left a huge hole in the middle of Detroit's defensive line with rushing champ DeMarco Murray and MVP candidate Tony Romo on deck. Suh -- and the Lions -- should send an oversized novelty thank you card to Cottrell for this well-timed showing of leniency.
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