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NFL Upholds Vontaze Burfict's Season-Long Suspension

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The NFL upheld Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict's season-long suspension without pay, the league announced on Wednesday.

Burfict first received the suspension on Sept. 30 after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle in Week 4. He was ejected from the game in the second quarter.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued Burfict's ban in September.

"There were no mitigating circumstances on this play," Runyan wrote in a letter to Burfict. "Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided."

Appeals officer Derrick Brooks upheld the suspension on Wednesday.

Prior to this season, Burfict had been suspended multiple times for dangerous plays, and his latest ban stems from being a repeat offender.

In 2016, he was suspended for three games for safety violations. He also missed the first three games of the 2017 season after having his suspension lowered from five games to three for an illegal hit on a defenseless player in the preseason.

Burfict was also suspended for four games last season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

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