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Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict fined for kicking Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix

Vontaze Burfict doges a suspension bullet, but his wallet won’t come away unscathed.

Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images

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 --