The decorated defensive tackle announced his retirement on social media Saturday morning, officially ending a 13-season NFL career that began when the Lions selected him No. 2 overall in the 2010 draft. Suh\u2019s last on-field appearance was Super Bowl LVII in February 2023, when he and the Philadelphia Eagles lost to Kansas City by a field goal.<\/p>\n
Suh was available for NFL teams to sign in the last two years and stayed in shape for the possibility. Ultimately, he didn’t play during the 2023 or 2024 seasons.<\/p>\n
The timing for stepping away from football coincides with the one-year anniversary of the death of his father, Michael, whose final piece of advice to his son was to let football go after a run that include five Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl title with Tampa Bay in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat conversation stayed with me,\u201d Suh wrote. \u201cSo today, one year later, I\u2019m honoring that wish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suh played five seasons with Detroit, three with Miami, one with the Los Angeles Rams, three with Tampa Bay and one with Philadelphia. The 38-year-old who has primarily lived in Florida late in his career collected total NFL earnings estimated at more than $168 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cI left it all on the field,\u201d Suh wrote, \u201cand now I\u2019m stepping away with peace and gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suh has been busy beyond playing the past two years as both a father of twin boys and as an entrepreneur. He\u2019s worked as a part-time broadcast analyst. Since becoming involved with Omaha-based Blue Sushi out of college, he\u2019s ventured further into hospitality and is a co-owner of numerous local Portland food chains.<\/p>\n
Through his Generals Restaurant Group, he owns and operates other establishments in three time zones. He\u2019s an investor in technology and real estate. He\u2019s been a lead advocate for exploring ways to make housing costs attainable to all.<\/p>\n
Suh also created the \u201cNo Free Lunch\u201d podcast to spark \u201creal conversation\u201d around strategy and education for living well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause freedom doesn\u2019t come from fame,\u201d Suh said. \u201cIt comes from knowledge and how you move.\u201d<\/p>\n
July 12, 2024 was the hardest day of my life.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor. \u2014 Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) July 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The native of Portland, Oregon, became a national force at Nebraska, culminating in 2009 when he was a Heisman Trophy finalist and a tackle-for-loss machine on the most dominant NU defense of the 21st century. He returned to Lincoln last fall to be inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame and spoke with current Huskers then.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a great powerful message when your players see that the best days of their lives are not their recruiting rankings and are not how they were drafted, even,\u201d Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said at the time. \u201cEach thing should be better than the last and life after football should be the ultimate.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s the plan for Suh, who is taking that laser focus and relentless strategic competitiveness into his next chapter.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lived. I\u2019ve learned. I\u2019ve built. I\u2019ve failed. I\u2019ve succeeded,\u201d Suh wrote. \u201cAnd now I want to share what I\u2019ve learned; especially with athletes, entrepreneurs and young people navigating life and money.\u201d<\/p>\n
He taught me what it meant to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/WkefQaDrsQ<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/tdn-65x65.png\")
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