After taking some time to reflect and look back at the actions of Ndamukong Suh on Thanksgiving, I think I know what his punishment should be.  But first, let’s take a look back at what did happen.

After a third-down stop, Suh repeatedly slammed the head of Packers center Evan Dietrich-Smith in to the turf and as he got up he stomped on his arm.  Suh was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game.

After the game, Suh said that he would apologize to true Lions fans and would only have to answer to the man upstairs.

On Friday both the Lions and Suh released statements, the Lions saying that Suh’s actions were “unacceptable”

The on-field conduct exhibited by Ndamukong Suh that led to his ejection from yesterday’s game was unacceptable and failed to meet the level of sportsmanship we expect from our players.

Ndamukong has made many positive contributions to the Lions on and off the field. We expect his behavior going forward to consistently reflect that high standard of professionalism.

Suh himself said via Facebook that he expects more professionalism out of himself, and that playing professional sports is a big responsibility.

I want to reiterate my commitment to working to become a better player, and professional — on and off the field. My reaction on Thursday was unacceptable. I made a mistake, and have learned from it. I hope to direct the focus back to the task at hand — by winning.

Now I think that had Thursday been the only response by Suh, that he should have been suspended for numerous games.  But after admitting that he had made a mistake and apologizing for it (even a day late) it should help his case.

I still think that Suh should be suspended for next weeks game against the Saints.  The punishment could be bigger, but I think the fact that he was ejected from a huge game on Thanksgiving will count as part of his punishment.