Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh won his appeal of a one-game suspension for stepping on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Though Suh will be able to play during the Lions playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, he still has to pay a $70,000 fine. Suh has built up a reputation for being a dirty player but during his appeal hearing he says stepping on Rodgers was unintentional and it happened because his feet were numb.
Suh said his feet were numb from the cold, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
A source said Suh told appeals officer Ted Cottrell on Tuesday that he couldn’t tell the difference between Rodgers’ feet and the ground.
While Rodgers did not say explicitly that he thought Suh’s actions were intentional, he did have serious doubts as to how they could be viewed as accidental.
“The only thing I can say is if you step on something in your everyday life or if you step on somebody on the field,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “The first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands or maybe pulling your foot back right away, and I’m just not sure that’s what happened on Sunday.”
For his career, Suh has been fined over $200,000 by the NFL, and his 38 penalties are the second-most by a defensive lineman since 2010, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
