Fansided

Five great players whose careers have been killed by the Detroit Lions

By Charles Rahrig V

Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) adjusts his helmet during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) adjusts his helmet during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) prior to facing the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) prior to facing the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh was an absolute force as a defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions. While he is getting paid like one with the Miami Dolphins, and could still be one for a while, there’s no denying that Suh’s best years to date were with the Lions.

From day one as a rookie, Suh was one of the most dynamic defensive linemen in the league. He required constant double teams and was a nightmare for any opposing quarterback that had him coming their way. With a guy like Suh anchoring the line on defense, the Lions should have been so much better than they were.

Unfortunately, it took them a while to fill around him correctly and they had some lean years in the secondary. They went to a couple of playoff games with Suh in a Lions uniform, but they were eliminated in the Wild Card Round both times they played.

The Lions, for a short while, had a future of Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford to look forward to. They couldn’t do anything with the two defensive linemen, who cashed out to join another team.

Even worse for the Lions, they passed on J.J. Watt to pair with Ndamukong Suh and opted for Fairley instead. While Suh was a headcase at times for the Lions, everyone thought the Lions would do so much more with the talent that they were acquiring.

Next: 4. Jason Hanson

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