NFL finds another illegal hit by Raiders’ Burfict
Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been informed that he hit another defenseless Colts player Sunday and the hit will be used…
The NFL has informed Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict that he hit another defenseless Indianapolis Colts player in Sunday’s game, agent Lamont Smith told ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Smith said Burfict was notified by letter Thursday about the unflagged hit, three days after the league suspended him for the remainder of the season for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules.
Burfict was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday’s game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle. The suspension, which would see him miss the final 12 games of the season, is the longest ever for an on-field incident.
Smith also told ESPN the NFL said it will include the unflagged hit among the totality of Burfict’s offenses under his appeal of the suspension. His appeal will be conducted by teleconference on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.
The 29-year-old Burfict received 13 suspensions and fines in seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Raiders as a free agent this offseason. Two of the suspensions were for illegal hits, totaling six games. He successfully appealed a five-game suspension in 2017 down to a three-game suspension.