NFL suspends Raiders' Vontaze Burfict for rest of season for hit on Colts' Jack Doyle
The NFL has suspended Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict for the rest of the 2019 season for a "flagrant" hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle. In a statement, the NFL said Burfict was suspended for "repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules."
Burfict was ejected early in the second quarter after being called for unnecessary roughness on a helmet-to-helmet collision with Doyle. Even before referee Scott Novak announced to the crowd what a replay review determined, Burfict was jogging into the locker room.
In a letter to Burfict, NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan wrote: "There were no mitigating circumstances on this play. Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided."
It's not the first time Burfict has run afoul of league rules. He had 11 fines and suspensions in seven seasons with Cincinnati before joining the Raiders.
Burfict tallied 18 tackles in four games with the Raiders this season. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2013 as a member of the Bengals.
