Vontaze Burfict’s reinstatement by the NFL came with so little fanfare that many are just now learning of it apparently a month later.
The ninth-year linebacker was signed last offseason by the Raiders and made it to week four before being suspended for at least the remainder of last season by the NFL. The hit he delivered was worthy of punishment, perhaps even a suspension of some kind. But with his long history of such dirty play, the natural next step for Burfict was something much more substantial than a game or four.
Many thought he was at the level of an eight-game suspension considering he had previously been handed down suspensions of three game and five games (reduced to three upon appeal). But Roger Goodell put the hammer down and just made it the rest of the season which would be at least 12 games; more had the Raiders made the playoffs.
It’s hard to imagine any NFL team taking a chance on him, knowing that the NFL will have a quick trigger finger and the next time will most certainly be a lifetime ban. As it stood, the only team who was beating on Burfict’s door last offseason was Paul Guenther and the Raiders.
But Burfict is keeping up hope, none the less. And his agent is putting it out there that his client is really putting in the work to keep his play clean. After 14 previous fines and suspensions for dirty play, it’s for real this time.
From Vontaze Burfict’s agent, Peter Schaffer, who told me Burfict has been working out at his alma mater, Arizona State (where Burfict has an advocate in former #Bengals coach Marvin Lewis). pic.twitter.com/4wa3wCmajQ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 24, 2020
Burfict will turn 30 years of age at the beginning of next season. It’s hard to imagine a team investing in him now, but best of luck to him just the same.