Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict exits Broncos game with concussion

Why was Hardy Nickerson on the field to strip the ball away from Royce Freeman? Because Vontaze Burfict left the field a few plays prior with a concussion and has since been ruled OUT.

Burfict left the game earlier for a short period of time before later returning. This time, Burfict went to the locker room for further evaluation and did not return.

Nickerson took Burfict’s place at MIKE linebacker.

This has been the latest of many setbacks for Burfict this year, who never has been the Pro Bowl linebacker he was in year’s past. Part of that is due to an assortment of minor injuries he’s been battling throughout the year. Part of it is he’s playing in the middle of one of the worst defenses in NFL history, which he’s done very little to stop the bleeding in.