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Vontaze Burfict has been hit hard in the wallet for his actions in the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to Ian Rapoport, Burfict has been fined $12,154 for unsportsmanlike conduct for kicking Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix. That kick was actually something some people feared could get Burfict suspended, being that he’s a repeat offender of the NFL’s player safety violations.
“The player pushes Vontaze back after the play,” Marvin Lewis said of the play when asked after Sunday’s game. “The official was right there and warned No. 45 (Roosevelt Nix) to not do that. So, I don’t know.”
Lewis added that "it's generally overblown" and "there's no reason to me to waste any time on it."
The league ultimately agreed, to an extent, as they decided the kick was not worthy of a suspension, but instead a ‘minor’ fine for a player making more than $10 million per season during the next three years. This, after his big offseason contract extension, which is for $32 million over three years. He’s under contract through the 2020 season, though the Bengals have easy outs in each offseason.
Burfict will now play in Week 8 versus the Indianapolis Colts, which has become a must-win game for the Bengals to have any hope of making the playoffs. We can only hope Burfict will avoid any more questionable plays that have the NFL consider fining or suspending him.
Without Burfict, the Bengals have little-no-chance of making a run that gets them back in the postseason hunt. This is obviously not Burfict’s first NFL fine as he’s forfeited a huge sum of money due to repeated fines and suspensions from the league.
Vontaze Burfict Fine & Suspension History
| DATE | SUSPENSION | FORFEITED | REASON |
|---|---|---|---|
| DATE | SUSPENSION | FORFEITED | REASON |
| 10.27.2017 | -- | $12,154 | Kicking Roosevelt Nix |
| 8.28.2017 | Three-game suspension (after appeal) | $1,770,975 | Illegal hit against Anthony Sherman |
| 11.25.2016 | -- | $12,154 | Unsportsmanlike conduct |
| 10.19.2016 | -- | $75,000 | Unsportsmanlike conduct |
| 4.1.2016 | Three-game suspension | $502,941 | Hit on a defenseless receiver (Antonio Brown) |
| 1.11.2016 | -- | $50,000 | Late hit |
| 12.18.2016 | -- | $69,454 | Multiple unsportsmanlike conducts |
| 10.15.2014 | -- | $25,000 | Ankle-twist on Cam Newton and Greg Olsen |
| 11.1.2013 | -- | $21,000 | Spearing |
| 9.27.2013 | -- | $21,000 | Hit on a defenseless receiver (James Jones) |
| 9.27.2013 | -- | $10,000 | Striking player in the groin |
| Total | Six games | $2,569,678 | -- |