PHILADELPHIA — Ndamukong Suh approached his locker with dozens of reporters and cameras awaiting him.
A team official tried to head off the veteran defensive tackle before he reached the scrum, but Suh’s pace was too quick for them.
“He’s already tough to block,” another Eagles staffer said.
Suh’s jaunt wasn’t the only thing moving fast for the 35-year-old Friday, one day after signing with the Eagles to bolster a defensive line that the team hopes will impact games deep into January and perhaps beyond.
Suh arrived at the NovaCare Complex in time to practice, sporting No. 74 and stretching with the rest of the defensive line during the portion open to the media.
After practice, Suh said he fielded calls from a few teams earlier this season, but the Eagles’ record and the existing relationships he had within the organization helped make his decision easier. Suh overlapped with cornerback Darius Slay and Eagles vice president of player performance Ted Rath in Detroit, where Rath was an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2009 to 2015.
“I think it came down, truthfully, to relationships,” Suh said. “I spoke to some other teams throughout the weeks, but again, Ted, Howie [Roseman,] ownership, just in general, I felt really comfortable with this opportunity here.”
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni wouldn’t say whether Suh or Linval Joseph, the other defensive tackle the Eagles added this week, would play against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Sirianni did mention the two players’ experience playing for different coaches during their respective 12-year careers would help them get up to speed quickly.
“The fact that they have been on different defenses and different teams, and they have been forced to learn multiple defenses, that’s huge,” Sirianni said. “These guys are professionals. They have been in this a long time, and they know what it takes to get themselves ready, not only their bodies ready but their minds ready to go out there and rip it.”
Before spending the first half of this season as a free agent, Suh played two years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His second-to-last game to date was the Bucs win over the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs last season.
Suh, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft behind former Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, started his career with Detroit mostly as a strong, athletic three-technique. Since then, he has played in odd and even fronts up and down the line of scrimmage and has experience in the 5-2 front the Eagles run at times.
“I’ve played in every single scheme in the NFL, 3-4, 4-3, [5-2], everything,” Suh said. “Nothing is technically new to me. It’s going to be more about terminology. Everybody has different terminology, that’s something I have to hone in to and get used to.”
While Joseph figures to fill injured rookie Jordan Davis’ role as a gap-plugging nose tackle during the next few games, Suh figures to rotate in with Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave at the three- and 4i-technique spots. Marlon Tuipulotu played some at those spots before going on injured reserve earlier this week. Second-year defensive tackle Milton Williams could also cede some snaps; he’s played 39% of the defensive snaps so far this season.
Although Suh spent the first half of his career as the focal point of most teams he was on, the three-time All-Pro said he’s happy to fill his space in the Eagles’ defensive tackle rotation, no matter how limited.
“I don’t have a problem by any means playing a role,” Suh said. “I’ve always played a role in my career. Whether that’s being, as you may call it, a star, it’s also being a leader, being a guy that helps people, bringing along their talents. At the end of the day, when you’re playing defensive line, it’s all about a collective group playing at an elite level. You’re only as good as your weakest link.”
Suh won the first championship of his career with Tampa Bay in the 2020 season and said a chance at another one was the priority for him when fielding calls from teams this season.
“Championships,” Suh said. “That’s what keeps me going, having an opportunity to play for one. This team has done an amazing job thus far and I feel like I can come in and help, but I first have to get acclimated and then go from there.”
