Ndamukong Suh will not get the franchise tag from the Lions, the team announced Monday morning.
That could put the menacing defensive tackle in a different uniform next season, as he is now set to hit free agency next week and the Lions figure to be outbid on the open market.
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The two parties can continue to negotiate a long-term deal until 4 p.m. next Tuesday, when the league year begins, but all indications are he will exercise his right to become an unrestricted free agent.
Why would the Lions let him go? For starters, it would have cost $26.9 million to keep him for 2015 under the franchise tag.
Suh, 28, has 36 sacks in five NFL seasons, including 8.5 last year.