Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict’s three-game suspension was upheld by appeals officer Derrick Brooks on Thursday.
As we previously reported, Burfict was suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season for repeated violations of player-safety rules after he hit Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver Antonio Brown in the head during a wildcard game. Brown suffered a concussion as a result of that hit.
Burfict met with league commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent after the suspension was upheld to discuss his behavior and how to avoid punishment from the NFL in the future, according to NFL.com. Burfict had requested the meeting with Goodell.
Burfict will lose $502,914 of his 2016 salary as a result of the suspension. Last season, he was fined almost $70,000 for his actions on the field. He has lost $647,395 in salary since before the start of the 2014 season. This past year he had 74 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. He led the league in unnecessary roughness penalties and has been flagged for personal foul penalties 16 times since he entered the league in 2012.
The Bengals made it to the wildcard round of the playoffs this past season but lost to the Steelers.