The Cincinnati Bengals are embarking on a new era, and for the first time since 2012, Vontaze Burfict won't be manning the middle for the team's defense. The notoriously hot-headed linebacker was released by the Bengals on Monday, ending a seven-year tenure in Cincinnati more recently marked as much by bone-crushing, potentially dirty hits and injuries that kept him off the field as reliable performance.
Rookie coach Zac Taylor released the following statement in response to Burfict's release.
“As we continue to build our roster for the 2019 season, we felt it best to give both the team and Vontaze a fresh start,” he said. “Vontaze has been a good player here — the team appreciates that, and I know a lot of fans appreciate that — but our focus is on the future. Our goal is to build a successful team for the upcoming season, and we felt that making this change now was best for everyone.”
The 28-year-old's departure from the Bengals certainly comes as no surprise. Reports surfaced in February that the team had already cut Burfict, a move it quickly denied had taken place.
Burfict suffered the seventh concussion of his career in a late December loss to the Cleveland Browns, ending his 2018 season early. He played in just seven games last season, finishing with 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three passes defended while fighting through various health maladies.
Given his checkered injury history and declining level of play, plus the ousting of longtime head coach Marvin Lewis, a staunch defender of the Arizona State product – there was always a good chance that the Bengals would decide to move on from Burfict this offseason. But with Cincinnati poised to open up millions in cap room by cutting him while incurring little financial penalty, the writing was always on the wall for his time with the black and orange.
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