Vontaze Burfict was suspended 5 games this week for another illegal hit. Here’s a countdown of his worst on-field moments in the NFL.
Earlier this week, Vontaze Burfict was suspended 5 games by the NFL for his hit on Kansas City Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman. You can see the hit below:
Burfict laid a cheap shot on this seam throw. Look at the right-hand corner. pic.twitter.com/VCjPQQgCoJ
— Ian Valentino (@NFLFilmStudy) August 20, 2017
It’s not the first time that Burfict has been suspended for a hit. It’s not even close to the third, fourth or sixth time he’s been punished by the NFL. At this point, the Bengals linebacker is a poster child for what not to do on the field. Here’s a rundown of the shadiest moments from a career built on illegal hits, unsportsmanlike conduct and generally dirty play.
1. Twisting Cam’s ankle
There’s no place on the field for poor sportsmanship, let alone the sort of display shown here when Burfict decided he wanted to not only tackle Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton but he wanted to have him placed on injured reserve as well.
The most insane part of this whole play? It warranted a $25,000 fine. That’s it. Purposefully trying to injure another player, especially like this at the end of a play and not when you’re flying through the air, should be an automatic ejection and lengthy suspension.
2. The Antonio Brown hit
This looks horrible. It was horrible. And Burfict, at this point, has lost the benefit of the doubt. Despite the best efforts of Bengals writers to try to say this wasn’t what it was made out to be, it’s still nasty.
3. The crotch hit
There’s a phase in middle school where this is somehow acceptable behavior to randomly hit other dudes in the crotch. Er, wait, who said that? Not me. Forgetting that admission, Burfict shows early on his career (back in 2013) that he was never going to be a clean player. Check the GIF for a quick hit to the crotch on Packers tight end Ryan Taylor.
4. The college headbutt
How far back does Burfict’s dirty play go? Well it definitely goes back to college and beyond. In addition to cheap shots at the knees and the like, he also is willing to just do the small things to get in your head. In this instance, it’s just a small, stupid headbutt on Ryan Katz, the quarterback for Oregon State seen here.
5. The knees of Martellus
Just last year, Burfict wasn’t fined for this hit but he most certainly should have been. Take a look at the low hit on Martellus Bennett’s knees. It’s easy to see why Rob Gronkowski was ready to do something about it.
At this point, it’s surprising that Burfict isn’t automatically kicked out of the NFL for a full season for the very next illegal hit or inappropriate act on the field. He’s out of chances yet somehow he’s still going to get to play for the Bengals this year.