Reggie Bush, Nick Fairley want to return to Lions for long haul

Lions RB Reggie Bush and DT Nick Fairley have expressed interest in returning with Detroit, whose main focus is re-signing DT Ndamukong Suh.

Ndamunkong Suh’s future is the top priority for the Detroit Lions, yet two of the team’s key players have already expressed interest in returning.

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Both running back Reggie Bush and defensive tackle Nick Fairley stated that remaining with the Lions would be their first choice, as the team gears up for what could be a pivotal offseason for Detroit, who had their season end in a ~~controversial~~ loss at Dallas in last weekend’s NFC Wild Card game.

Bush missed five games during the regular season with a variety of injuries and eventually lost his starting job to Joique Bell. He’s due $5.2 million in 2015, a number that may cause the Lions to balk over paying a situational back who rushed for just 297 yards in 2014.

“I do know the business side of it,” Bush said. “And I know that I have a contract that says I’m here for another two years, so that’s the business side of it. Until somebody tells me otherwise, that’s when I’m planning on being back.”

The emergence of Theo Riddick will also hurt Bush’s chances of returning unless he is willing to take a significant pay cut.

Like Bush, Fairley missed much of the season, as a knee injury limited him to just seven games. He would have been available had the Lions advanced to the divisional round, yet the Lions would probably send him heading to free agency since it would be very difficult for them to manage huge paydays for both Fairley and Suh.

“I love Detroit, to be honest,” said Fairley, via the Detroit Free Press. “I feel the city, the people in it. I love the atmosphere of basically the hard work that they bring. I’m just all work and that’s definitely the vibe I get from the city and I like it.

The Lions can ill-afford to lose both Fairley and Suh to free agency. They would obviously love to bring back Suh, but the controversial defensive tackle has all but given the team notice that he’s gone, which could make bringing Fairley back more easy.

An even bigger issue facing the Lions will be the decision on whether wide receiver Calvin Johnson is willing to restructure a deal that is scheduled to pay him $20.558 million next season. Coming off an injury-plagued 2014, the possibility exists that Megatron could be causing nightmares for opposing defensive backs on another team if the Lions decide that his bloated salary could be put to good use elsewhere.

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