Ndamukong Suh announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday, issuing a heartfelt statement on the first anniversary of his father’s death.
Crediting his father as “my idol, my coach, and my anchor,” the defensive lineman relayed what he said was the final piece of advice from his dad.
“It’s time to let football go,” he recalled his father saying. “You’ve done everything you set out to do. Now it’s time for the next chapter.”
“That conversation stayed with me,” Suh posted in his statement on social media. “So today, one year later, I’m honoring that wish.
“I’m officially retiring from the NFL.”
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
Suh, 38, was the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NFL draft by the Lions. He spent five seasons in Detroit (2010-14), then played for the Miami Dolphins (2015-17), Los Angeles Rams (2018), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-21) and Philadelphia Eagles (2022).
He has been out of football the past two seasons. He won the Super Bowl with the 2020 Buccaneers.
Suh made his presence known as a rookie, posting a career-high 10 sacks and being named an All-Pro and AP Rookie of the Year. It was the first of his three All-Pro honors, and he also was named to the Hall of Fame All-2010s team.
He made 600 career tackles and 71.5 sacks, adding one interception, five forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries — three returned for a touchdown. He appeared in 199 games, starting all but the eight he played with the Eagles in his final season.
“I left it all on the field, and now I’m stepping away with peace and gratitude,” he said.
“Because I’ve been preparing for this moment for years. Football was my passion, but it was never my endgame.”
He now hosts the “No Free Lunch” podcast, in which he strives to share what he has learned about “navigating life and money,” he said.
