10 best individual player rivalries in NFL history
By Kinnu Singh
9. Aaron Rodgers vs. Ndamukong Suh
In today’s NFL, it would be impossible for Conrad Dobler’s methods to go entirely unnoticed. The various camera angles, instant replays and increased challenge opportunities allow for more scrutiny, as does the advent of social media amplifying fan-made claims. If someone saw Dobler bite an ankle, it’s likely that image would be broadcast all over the Internet.
Still, that doesn’t mean players don’t embrace Dobler’s antagonistic spirit. From Vontaze Burfict to Ndamukong Suh, there are defensive players who have become renowned for playing “dirty” with plenty of reports and footage to back up those claims. Suh may insist that he doesn’t play dirty, but there was a time when his NFL peers strongly disagreed. In 2011 and 2012, Suh was voted as the NFL’s dirtiest player in a poll by Sporting News.
“The type of hits he puts on quarterbacks, the way he finishes guys — some of them are legal, but a lot of them, I’d say, are over the top,” said an anonymous NFL defensive player.
“Over the top” is one way to describe Suh’s treatment of the Green Bay Packers in 2011, when he was suspended for stomping on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Three years later, he was fined $70,000 for stomping on Aaron Rodgers.
Will Buikema of SB Nation’s Secret Base chronicles the timeline between Suh and Rodgers since Suh was drafted in 2010, including context as to why Suh approaches quarterbacks with fervor. Suh’s way of keeping a chip on his shoulder has resulted in several penalties and injuries, the most prominent one being his ankle stomp on Rodgers.
Suh has been quiet since 2018, which is the last season in which he’s incurred an NFL fine. Since then, he was able to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and advance to another one with the Philadelphia Eagles. Suh describes himself as an “aggressive player”, and it seems that he’s been able to channel that aggression into playing his position rather than the excessive roughness observed early in his career.
“It doesn’t bother me because they haven’t taken the time to sit down with me one-on-one and have a conversation with me,” Suh told MLive in 2023 when asked about his reputation. “You can’t call me something that has not consistently shown itself. Off the field, you don’t see that in my daily life. None of my teammates say it, which is the most important thing — none of my coaches.”
Rodgers has spoken out about his relationship with Suh, namely on The Pat McAfee Show. In 2020, Rodgers said that their rivalry hasn’t been “cordial” over the years and that the two have had “some battles.” Still, Rodgers imagined that the two might make up during Week 6 of the 2020 season. “I was under the impression we were going to have a conversation after the game. It was one of those I’m old, you’re old, let’s talk some things out,” Rodgers told McAfee.
In January 2021, Rodgers was asked if he would try to talk to Suh following the NFC Championship game since the two were never able to the air. “I don’t think there will be a whole lot of conversation this week,” Rodgers replied.
After the Packers lost and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, Suh clarified that his job is anger Rodgers on the field, but he’d like to connect at some point off of it.
Suh and Rodgers could be facing off once again in 2023, depending on Suh’s free agency situation. If they do, NFL fans could see another year of one of the league’s longest-standing active rivalries, one that these two veterans haven’t quite put to rest.