Ndamukong Suh considered signing with the 49ers before he joined the Eagles

Free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh hadn’t signed with a team during the first 2.5 months of the 2022 NFL season. At 35 years old, it seemed as though Suh was waiting for the perfect landing spot for the stretch run in the second half.

Suh ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles late last week. According to Pro Football Talk, it came down between Philly and the 49ers. San Francisco’s defensive line coach Kris Kocurek coached Suh when he was an All-Pro in Detroit, so the familiarity was there.

There was also a need, as the Niners have been without starting defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead for much of the season and had lost Maurice Hurst and rookie Kalia Davis before the start of the year.

Suh wound up with the Eagles, and it’s difficult to blame him since they have the best record in the NFC. Suh will remain a backup, though as the Eagles have Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave starting. We’ll see if that changes as Suh gets more comfortable in their system.

Last week, Kyle Shanahan said there was some interest in Suh. General manager John Lynch echoed those comments:

“We had some interest in Ndamukong. Kris Kocurek has been with Ndamukong. Ndamukong doesn’t get out of shape. He’s probably a rare breed and I think the same could be said for Odell. Those guys are special athletes.

We talked to him last year and we talked to him earlier this year. It just never came to fruition. I think, ultimately, it sounds like he really sought out the Eagles as a place he wanted to be. You can’t get them all. He’s a good football player who’s on the back end of his career but I’m sure he’ll help them and a good pickup for the Eagles.”

We’re probably a week away from Armstead returning to the field. We’ll see if Kinlaw gets closer. I may be in the minority here, but I believe Kinlaw plays sooner than later.