NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson on Friday told ESPN that every form of discipline will be considered against Detriot Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh if the league's review of Suh's kick to the groin of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub determines that he made the contact deliberately.
"When you consider the history, everything is on the table," Anderson said.
The NFL will meet Monday to discuss the incident.
Anderson watched Thursday's Lions-Texans game in the NFL command center at the league offices in New York and said his initial reaction after seeing the play live and from various network television replay angles was that "it didn't look good."
Last year, Suh was ejected from the Lions' Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers and was suspended two weeks after he stomped on the arm of offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Suh said that play wasn't intentional, but the NFL thought it was malicious enough to give him a two-game suspension.
The NFL follows a system of escalating punishment, which is the reason Anderson said Suh could be subjected to severe punishment.
"Repeat offenders are going to run out of benefit of the doubt faster than someone who is a first-time offender," Anderson said. "If I were a judge in the courtroom, and you're in for a third-time DUI, I'm going to look at that differently than if this is your first DUI -- even if you didn't maim anybody."
But Anderson did not want to pre-judge Suh's latest incident, preferring a critical review involving more replay angles that also will be critically examined by league executives Merton Hanks, Ronnie Hill and Joel Bussert, who are routinely involved in determining whether players should be disciplined.
Suh left the locker room before reporters were allowed in after Thursday's game, and Schaub was in no mood to talk about the play.
"I really don't have anything to say about that play or that person," he said following the Texans' 34-31 overtime victory.
The kick, intentional or not, happened with 6:49 to play in the first quarter after Suh split right guard Ben Jones and right tackle Derek Newton on a pass rush. Newton spun Suh to the ground as Schaub threw a pass short to wide-open tight end Owen Daniels.
Suh landed face-first with his left leg in the air and extended his foot into Schaub's midsection as the QB fell to the ground. Suh wasn't flagged on the play.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he didn't see the play as it happened but said he'd "be very surprised if it was anything other than just the natural course of the game."
