Getty
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: Derek Carr #4 and head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders talk during warm ups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Jon Gruden has finally addressed Vontaze Burfict’s season-long suspension.
Just days after it was announced that the NFL was handing down the longest punishment in history regarding a player’s actions on the field — Burfict will be suspended for 12 games — the Oakland Raiders head coach addressed his defensive team captain’s suspension.
Not only is Gruden “anxious” to see what the final ruling will be after appeal, he is not “happy” about it at all.
Via ESPN:
“I’m not really going to say anything. I’ve talked to (Jon) Runyan (NFL Vice President of Football Operations) in the league office, he knows how I feel. It hurts our team really bad. And I’m anxious to see what the appeal says. I’m not happy about it. At all. And I don’t want to say anything else about it. I’m obviously upset about it.”
The appeal will likely take place next Tuesday, according to Burfict’s agent Lamont Smith.
Burfict was handed his suspension for his vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on the Indianapolis Colts’ Jack Doyle during the team’s Week 4 win. He was promptly ejected in the second quarter for the illegal tackle.
NFL Attributes Reason for Vontaze Burfict’s Record Suspension
NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan attributed Burfict’s suspension in large part due to his repeated offenses over the years, despite having been warned by the league, via
ESPN.
“There were no mitigating circumstances on this play,” the letter said. “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 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.”
Prior to his most recent suspension, Burfict had been suspended for 10 games during his prior seven seasons in the league — all with the Cincinnati Bengals — due to illegal hits and performance-enhancing drugs.
Despite his rough history, Jon Gruden made a bold move by signing the troubled linebacker to a one-year, $2 million deal. Burfict made $300,000 on the signing bonus and has $300,000 guaranteed on his deal. If the suspension is upheld for the remaining 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs, the 29-year-old linebacker would obviously miss the majority of those paychecks.
Former Players Chime in on Vontaze Burfict’s Suspension
As normally is the case with major topics such as these, the reaction regarding Burfict’s suspension has been mixed. While it’s been overwhelmingly supported — most notably by
ESPN’s Marcus Spears and
The Athletic’s Ross Tucker — there has been one notable supporter of Burfict and that’s none other than former Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski.
Romanowski
argued that while the hit was dirty, the suspension is just way too long.
“I feel for this guy. Do I think he should be fined? Yes. Do I think he should be kicked outta the league? No. I think it is absolutely dead wrong. This guy has handled himself like a pro. And yes, he is a violent mother f’er and I love the way he plays the game of football.”
The former 16-year veteran had a reputation during his career as a “dirty” player, having spat in an opposing receiver’s face and ending the career of a Raiders teammate due to a crushed eye socket from a punch.
While numerous people have provided their input on this situation, the only opinion that truly matters is what the NFL thinks. We’ll find out their final decision when Burfict’s appeal takes place next Tuesday.
DJ Siddiqi covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has covered the NFL and NBA for Forbes, ClutchPoints, CBS Sports, 24/7 Sports and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy. More about DJ Siddiqi
