NFL DT Ndamukong Suh likely headed for broadcast booth after playing career
Ndamukong Suh has spent the last decade-plus terrorizing offenses in the NFL. Now, with him much, much closer to the end of his career than the start, the chances of him taking his talents to the broadcast booth seems more and more likely.
In a recent article at The Athletic by Richard Deitsch, he wrote about Suh as a media prospect at the conclusion of his NFL career. As he wrote about Suh’s performance at the 2023 Broadcast and Media Boot Camp, Steve Wyche of the NFL Network had high praise for the chops from the 13-year veteran.
“He’s such a smart, deep dude. Once he masters the mechanics of doing TV, he would emerge as a star,” Wyche said. “He’s not into hyperbole or winging it. He would put in the work and distinguish himself.”
At 6’4 and 313 pounds, Suh is menacing from his frame alone. However, from what Wyche said, he gives off a far different vibe in the studio.
“He’s almost the opposite of what you saw on the field,” said Wyche. “I’d be surprised if he were a hot-take guy. He seemed to really consider everything before he spoke. He’s a little bit soft-spoken, not this gregarious personality, but he’s got these very expressive eyes and facial expressions. He’s almost the kind of guy that, when he says something, you’re going to want to listen to it. Because you don’t think it’s going to be the standard fare.”
“Things that he did on the field lead to immediate perceptions of him being a guy who crossed the line at times. That he’s an unflinching brute that never smiles or enjoys life,” Wyche said. “All of that would change as a broadcaster. People would immediately see his intellect and knowledge of football and life. I think he should be on every network’s shortlist.”
As far as options for where he could land, Suh has been connected to NBC Sports. For what it’s worth, he was also a guest on NFL Live in the summer of 2022. As Deitsch notes, one executive at ESPN labeled him as ‘super impressive’ after that stint.
After the Detroit Lions selected him No. 2 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, Suh has gone on to have a great career with the Lions, Dolphins, Rams, Buccaneers, and Eagles. In his 199 games as a pro, he has posted 600 tackles and 71.5 sacks.
Over his first seven seasons, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year as well as made both five Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams. Then, in Tampa Bay, he won his only Super Bowl with the Bucs in his 11th campaign.
Suh has been a powerhouse on the gridiron for several defenses over the course of the 2010s. With retirement on the horizon, though, it sounds like he is more than capable of being a similar kind of force as a broadcaster in the years to come.