Detroit Lions rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined $7,500 by the NFL on Friday for his roughing-the-passer penalty on quarterback Jake Delhomme in an exhibition game against the Browns.
The No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft grabbed Delhomme’s face mask and twisted it, then wrapped his arms around the quarterback’s head and slammed him to the ground in the second quarter of last Saturday’s game.
Suh said later he didn’t know Delhomme had thrown the ball before he hit him.
“I was just going after the ball, and I had no clue that he had gotten rid of it,” he said.
Delhomme got up waving his arms in protest, and Suh was assessed a 15-yard penalty.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz wouldn’t share his thoughts about the fine during his Friday news conference. “It’s not my job to comment on fines,” he said. “(Suh) got flagged and it cost us 15 yards.”
Cleveland coach Eric Mangini said this week he didn’t think the former Nebraska standout intended to injure Delhomme.
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