Former Lions DT Says He Should Have Been Paid More Than Stafford

From 2007 to 2010, the Detroit Lions had a historic stretch in the NFL Draft. Three of their five first round selections became franchise icons, those being the big three of Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, and Ndamukong Suh.

Suh recently made the news for announcing his retirement from the league, following an illustrious 13-year career, with five Pro Bowl nods and three First Team All-Pro selections. Since that announcement, he has posted his own thoughts on the league.

On Thursday, the former No. 2 overall pick expressed that he should have been paid more than Matthew Stafford when it came time for the Lions to extend him.

Suh cited that he was the next first round pick after Stafford, and how Stafford, Johnson, and Suh (alongside his defensive linemen) were the “big three” in Detroit at the time.

“Detroit really gave me the short end of the stick,” Suh claimed. “I should have been paid more than Matthew Stafford, because I was the next first round pick for them coming out in the draft. I felt like I was going to be a cornerstone for them, but they didn’t value me enough to say ‘Hey, you’re not going to be paid more than our quarterback.’ What I said was, ‘I am going to prove you guys wrong, I, at the end of the day, deserve to be one of the cornerstones.’”

Stafford signed a five-year, $135 million extension in 2015, with an average value at $27 million per year. Johnson signed an eight-year, $132 million extension in 2012, with that value being $16.5 million per season.

Suh: I should have been PAID MORE than Matthew Stafford! @NdamukongSuh

—Agree or Disagree? pic.twitter.com/TO8HXaUDt8
— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) July 17, 2025

With Detroit not offering to pay Suh more than Stafford, the defensive tackle elected to take his talents to Miami, where he inked a six-year, $114 million deal, worth $19 million per season. While, obviously, Suh was not paid more than Stafford, even in the Sunshine State, it made him the highest paid defensive player in NFL history.

On paper, Detroit appears to have made the right move to not pay up, as Suh only received one more Pro Bowl nod after he left the Motor City. He was released three seasons into his six-year Miami deal, and played five more seasons between three teams, including a Super Bowl victory with Tampa Bay following the 2020 season.

Stafford, however, despite his accolades as the most accomplished passer with Detroit, did not go to the Pro Bowl as a Lion again after Suh left following 2014. As a Los Angeles Ram, however, Stafford also won a Super Bowl, along with a Pro Bowl nod and top 10-finishes for Comeback Player of the Year and MVP in 2023.

Suh recently officially announced his retirement from the NFL and has launched a new podcast.

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