Oakland Raiders Vontaze Burfict ejected after brutal blow to Indianapolis Colts receiver, Jack Doyle’s head
Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict was ejected after hitting Indianapolis Colts receiver Jack Doyle’s head. Burfict has racked up over $4 million dollars in fines for improper contact.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr lamented the full-season suspension of teammate Vontaze Burfict after the linebacker put a nasty hit on an Indianapolis Colts receiver.
Carr said Wednesday that Burfict was one of the “most misunderstood people in the NFL” and that the suspension was unfair, according to ESPN.
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“I don't think he was trying to hurt that man; the man was going down,” Carr said of Burfict’s hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle. “You see it all the time — there's flags flying everywhere.”
“We see other people choking people out, and they're going to play this Sunday. We see other people hitting people in the helmet, and they're going to play this Sunday. And Vontaze Burfict won't play the rest of the year? I think that's a little excessive, if you ask me. I don't think it's fair, if we really got to know the guy. If the people making the decision really knew the guy that we know, inside our building ... he's a great person, his heart is broken because he's not playing football. The guy just wants to play football. We don't get a lot of time to play this game in our lives.”
Burfict was suspended without pay as a result of the hit. Burfict has a history of brutal helmet-to-helmet hits as well as multiple suspensions and fines. Burfict’s agent told ESPN that his client was going to appeal the suspension.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote a letter to Burfict about his violent behavior on the field and why he was being suspended for the rest of the season.
“There were no mitigating circumstances on this play,” Runyan wrote in the letter. “Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game.
“Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me, and each of the jointly appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures. However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designated to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk.
“Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision regarding accountability measures.”
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Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead will become the new defensive play-caller for the Raiders as the team gets set to take on the Chicago Bears in London. He said Burfict was like a “brother” and that the defense has to step up.
The Raiders are 2-2 this season.
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