Cincinnati Bengals linebackers Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the first three games of next season by the NFL Monday night. Burfict will appeal the suspension.
The suspension is a result of multiple violations of player-safety rules. During the Bengals' wildcard playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Burfict was penalized for lowered his shoulder and hitting defenseless receiver Antonio Brown in the head after an incompletion, which resulted in the suspension, according to the Associated Press.
Merton Hanks, the NFL’s vice president of football operations said that Burfict's hit on Brown “placed his opponent at unnecessary risk of injury and should have been avoided." Brown is currently under the league’s concussion protocol.
"He can't have that kind of blow with the guy that's receiving the pass," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said of Burfict. "But it didn't go over the edge for the course of the season. He's had three penalties this season for unnecessary roughness. ... Let's not take things out of context, and understand it. Let's judge the body of work. Unfortunately, we earned some reputations, and we have to eliminate that by continuing to play well within the rules, with the way he plays. And he plays very well within the rules, and we have to keep doing that."
Burfict signed a four-year contract extension with the Bengals before the start of the 2014 season. He has been fined four times this season for dangerous plays in just 10 games. He had 74 tackles and two interceptions, according to ESPN.
In Saturday’s game against the Steelers he had six tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, and an interception.
The NFL said that the conduct of other players and coaches during Saturday’s game is being reviewed for potential discipline. The Steelers won the game 18-16, eliminating the Bengals from the playoffs.