ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions waited four-plus days to get Ndamukong Suh on the field, then wasted no time putting him on their first-string defense in his first practice.

Suh took a flight from Nebraska to Michigan on Wednesday, signed his contract, passed a conditioning test and joined his teammates for drills on a muggy afternoon.

"I'm happy to finally be out here," he said. "I enjoyed it, knocking off the rust."

The No. 2 pick overall in the NFL draft was greeted by chants of "Suuuuhhhh!" from fans as he walked on the practice field and was the center of attention for the next two hours.

Suh didn't report to training camp Friday and missed seven practices.

"It was a tough time," he said. "Obviously, I wanted to be in camp on time as I said previously. Unfortunately, I wasn't, so I apologize for that.

"As we all know, it's a business."

Suh's five-year rookie contract is worth more than $60 million, $40 million of which is guaranteed, team sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Team president Tom Lewand said he's not concerned with how Suh's deal compares to the contract Matthew Stafford signed last year after Detroit drafted the quarterback No. 1 overall. Stafford's six-year contract has $41.7 million in guarantees with a maximum value of $78 million.

"The focus needs to be what they do for a living, not how much they make doing it," Lewand said.