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On Monday, the NFL handed out a five-game suspension to Vontaze Burfict for what is being deemed as an illegal hit on Kansas City Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman during last Saturday's preseason game.
Following the suspension being issued, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN, defended Burfict by stating that he is a changed man.
“In my opinion Vontaze has changed,” Lewis said. “He's learned, he's changed, but in my opinion he's a 250-pound man that hits like a dynamite. It's like getting hit by a cement truck. That's just the way he plays. He's got great hip explosion; that's why he's the player he is. … The dynamics of his body are such that it's like getting hit by a 300-pound person.”
The hit occurred on a passing play where Burfict lowered his shoulder, leveling Sherman even though he wasn't the intended receiver. What has drawn more attention to this play is that Burfict is a repeat offender, as he's been involved in numerous incidents where his actions and hits were quite questionable.
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Had this been his first time being punished for this type of hit, he may have only been fined. Burfict has been accused of twisting opposing players ankles and was in the middle of a huge hit to the head on Pittsburgh Steelers star wideout Antonio Brown in the 2015 playoffs, forcing him to leave the game with a concussion.
This resulted in the league issuing a three-game suspension to Vontaze to start the 2016 season. His latest actions don't demonstrate that he not learned from the previous situations, rather pushing them aside.
Only time will tell if Burfict has learned from this latest incident that has only furthered his strong reputation as a dirty player.
