The Detroit Lions announced on Monday morning that they will not place the franchise tag on star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
RT @ttwentyman: The #Lions will not place the franchise tag on DT Ndamukong Suh. pic.twitter.com/jBB4U4ecam
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) March 2, 2015
This isn’t too surprising considering that the tag would have seen Suh count nearly $27 million against the cap in 2015. Unlike other franchise tag candidates around the National Football League, Suh’s situation called for him to earn 120 percent of the $22.4 million he made last season.
Despite being considered one of the top defenders in the game, it just wasn’t realistic for the Lions to pay him that type of cash in 2015.
Now prepared to hit free agency as the top player on the market, Suh will draw a ton of interest. The Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts all have over $40 million in cap room right now. All five of those teams could use an intimidating figure along the interior of their defensive lines.
Suh, 28, recorded 54 tackles and 8.5 sacks during an All-Pro 2014 campaign. He also graded out as the third-best defensive tackle in the NFL, according to official Pro Football Focus metrics (subscription required).
While the Lions will likely look to work out a long-term deal with Suh, there’s no reason to believe he won’t test the open market. The star defensive tackle is looking at north of $20 million annually.
Photo: USA Today