Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined $100,000 for his hit on Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan in Sunday's game, but won't be suspended, the NFL announced Tuesday.
The league said in a statement that NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks told Suh on Tuesday that he had been fined.
"Suh was penalized for violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 5 (a) which prohibits blocks below the waist by players of either team after a change of possession," the league said in its statement.
Suh restructured his contract for this season, changing his payment for 2013 into a $11.5 million signing bonus and a $630,000 salary. His salary puts his weekly game checks at $39,375 for the Lions' 16 games, meaning he essentially lost money playing Sunday due to the $100,000 fine.
The controversial play occurred during an interception return by Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, who scored an apparent touchdown to give Detroit the lead. But the play was nullified because Suh was whistled for an illegal low block against Vikings center John Sullivan well behind the play. The Lions eventually won the game 34-24.
The NFL fined Suh $30,000 last year for unnecessary roughness because he kicked Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin area. He was suspended for two games in 2011 after he stomped on Green Bay's Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Suh has also been fined in previous seasons for roughing up quarterbacks: the Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton, the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler and then-Cleveland Browns QB Jake Delhomme.
Suh said he wasn't going after Sullivan's knees Sunday, adding the two talked about it at halftime.
"I spoke to him, we're good,'' Suh said after Sunday's game. "So that's all that matters.''
Sullivan said afterward the hit was part of the game and it was penalized, and on Monday he didn't seem interested in fanning the flames.
"He apologized and said there was no intent to injure. It's fine,'' he said. "I think guys get caught up in the play sometimes. So, sometimes things happen. It's hard to even remember what you do when you get caught up in the moment. I appreciate the fact that he came up to me and said something, yeah.''
ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder and ESPN.com sports business reporter Darren Rovell contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press also was used.
The league said in a statement that NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks told Suh on Tuesday that he had been fined.
"Suh was penalized for violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 5 (a) which prohibits blocks below the waist by players of either team after a change of possession," the league said in its statement.
Suh restructured his contract for this season, changing his payment for 2013 into a $11.5 million signing bonus and a $630,000 salary. His salary puts his weekly game checks at $39,375 for the Lions' 16 games, meaning he essentially lost money playing Sunday due to the $100,000 fine.
The controversial play occurred during an interception return by Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, who scored an apparent touchdown to give Detroit the lead. But the play was nullified because Suh was whistled for an illegal low block against Vikings center John Sullivan well behind the play. The Lions eventually won the game 34-24.
The NFL fined Suh $30,000 last year for unnecessary roughness because he kicked Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin area. He was suspended for two games in 2011 after he stomped on Green Bay's Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Suh has also been fined in previous seasons for roughing up quarterbacks: the Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton, the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler and then-Cleveland Browns QB Jake Delhomme.
Suh said he wasn't going after Sullivan's knees Sunday, adding the two talked about it at halftime.
"I spoke to him, we're good,'' Suh said after Sunday's game. "So that's all that matters.''
Sullivan said afterward the hit was part of the game and it was penalized, and on Monday he didn't seem interested in fanning the flames.
"He apologized and said there was no intent to injure. It's fine,'' he said. "I think guys get caught up in the play sometimes. So, sometimes things happen. It's hard to even remember what you do when you get caught up in the moment. I appreciate the fact that he came up to me and said something, yeah.''
ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder and ESPN.com sports business reporter Darren Rovell contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press also was used.
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