A controversial former NFL star is ready to hang up his helmet.
In an emotional post to his X page on Saturday, five-time All-Pro defender Ndamukong Suh announced that he is retiring from the NFL. Suh revealed that his father passed away exactly one year ago to the day and added that he was now honoring his father’s wish for him to “let football go.”
Here is Suh’s full post announcing his retirement.
July 12, 2024 was the hardest day of my life.
It’s the day I said goodbye to my father, the man who raised me, shaped me, challenged me, and believed in me before I believed in myself.
He wasn’t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor.
He taught me what it meant to… pic.twitter.com/WkefQaDrsQ
— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) July 12, 2025
For better or for worse, Suh, now 38, was one of the better-known NFL names of his generation. After going with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions, Suh went on to play 13 career seasons (with the Lions, the Miami Dolphins, the Los Angeles Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles). Suh made five Pro Bowl teams as well as five All-Pro teams and also won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay during the 2020 NFL season.
But Suh also became notorious because of his long history of dirty plays on the field, especially against quarterbacks. Over the years, Suh kicked opposing QBs in the head, grabbed others by the throat, and regularly targeted some of the biggest names in the game. He once notably stomped on Aaron Rodgers and later went on to swat Patrick Mahomes in the head. Suh was regularly named by his fellow players as the dirtiest player in the NFL and drew countless fines and suspensions from the league over his roughshod style of play.
Still, Suh’s resume ultimately speaks for itself. Having not actually played in an NFL game since the 2022 season, Suh now retires with 71.5 career sacks, 600 combined tackles, and 38 passes defended. Suh also made over $168 million in career salary and will now move ahead into the next chapter of his life.