Fresh off Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell praised Ndamukong Suh and said keeping the controversial lineman in the Motor City is imperative.

“That will continue to be one of our highest priorities,” in the next couple of months, Caldwell said Monday.

The fifth-year pro, who turns 28 on Tuesday, had two sacks in Sunday’s loss. For the season, he recorded 8.5 sacks and was one of the key reasons why the Lions had the No. 2 rated defense in the league.

The Lions were the toughest team to run on, giving up only 69.3 yards a game.

Suh becomes a free agent in March and it will cost the Lions more than $26 million to apply the franchise tag to keep him in Detroit.

Numerous reports says the team and Suh would like to strike a deal, but the Lions are expected to let him test the free-agent market first.

Suh has indicated that he believes his next contract should be similar or worth more than the six-year, $100 million contract that Houston Texans star J.J. Watt signed.

The Lions have to decide whether they can afford Suh as well as quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who both already have signed lucrative deals.