Ndamukong Suh, the linchpin of the Detroit Lions defense, rejoined the Lions on Monday following his two game suspension for stomping on a Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Nov. 24.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Suh did not speak with the media Monday, nor did he immediately return a text message seeking comment. Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he spoke with Suh for "a while" and does not expect Suh's behavior to be an issue the rest of the season.
"He's, obviously, healthy, looked good. He's excited to be back and focused on the Oakland Raiders," Schwartz said Monday, via the Free Press.
"I'd be very surprised if it showed up on his radar again," Schwartz added. "He's a very prideful person. He wants to do anything he can to help the team, so I would be surprised if something like that happened again."
Suh, the player most responsible for the Lions' growing "bad boy" reputation, was suspended by the NFL on Nov. 29. The Lions went 1-1 without the All-Pro defensive tackle, losing to the New Orleans Saints and defeating the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday.
The Lions recently have been under fire for their perceived dirty play and penchant for after-the-whistle personal foul penalties. Schwartz has a new zero-tolerance policy for those who get flagged after the play.
"You certainly don't want to try to coach guys to be scared or to play to avoid penalties," Schwartz said. "You want to (coach) them to play as hard and as physical as they can. You want to be smart before the snap, you want to be smart after the whistle -- and those are things we expect from Ndamukong."
