Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has a reputation for being one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, losing $800K to 16 separate fines over his five-year career.
That reputation was the main reason the NFL chose to suspend him five games for this hit on Anthony Sherman of the Kansas City Chiefs, rather than just the hit itself.
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/902003544122937344
There was no foul issued on the play, and according to the letter of the law, it was legal, despite what the NFL's statements continue to claim. Obviously it was a cheap shot that was completely unnecessary with the ball sailing toward another receiver, but nothing within the NFL rulebook was violated.
That was the argument the Bengals and Burfict made when he filed his appeal, and while the suspension wasn't completely wiped from the record, it was reduced.
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict had his NFL suspension reduced from five to three games Wednesday, the league announced.
The case was overseen by former NFL wide receiver, James Thrash.
In the latest statement from the league, Burfict's history of hitting defenseless receivers was cited. More from ESPN:
“This is not your first offense with respect to illegal hits to defenseless players,” Runyan, the league's vice president of football operations, wrote. “To the contrary, this incident is consistent with your pattern of egregious safety-related violations, including your hit on a defenseless player during the 2015 wild-card game and your hit against a Baltimore tight end away from the play on Jan. 3, 2016.
“When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, and particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player … you must be held accountable for this continuing unacceptable conduct.”
Despite Vontaze's past, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis continues to emphasize the fact that this particular hit wasn't illegal.
“His head was out to the left, as you can see in every single angle,” Lewis said. “Behind, front, television, All-22, it's always out to the side and in front of the player. There's no contact whatsoever. And if you have to slow down things in high definition and go frame by frame, and you're still not sure, we don't officiate the game that way. … I don't see how the players can be held to that standard as well.”
The Bengals' first three games come against the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Green Bay Packers.
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