Vontaze Burfict’s 5-game suspension reduced to 3 games after appeal

Vontaze Burfict got a reduced punishment, but will still miss regular season time.

Vontaze Burfict will miss the first three games of the 2017 season after a five-game suspension handed out in preseason was reduced following an appeal by the Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.

The suspension was for a hit delivered on Kansas City Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman during the second week of preseason.

It was deemed a violation of a recent rule change that prohibits blindside hits from behind or the side. But video appeared to show Burfict strike Sherman with his shoulder to the fullback’s chest.

The Bengals came to Burfict’s defense and said it was a legal hit, and the reduced suspension supports the linebacker’s claim that the play wasn’t an egregious enough offense to warrant a five-game ban.

So why is Burfict still suspended three games? It’s a question that the NFL should explain when the suspension reduction is announced. If he broke the rules and delivered a dangerous hit, why reduce the suspension? If he didn’t break the rules and delivered a legal hit, why is out for three games?

There was a similar situation in 2016 when Burfict was fined $75,000 for allegedly stomping on LeGarrette Blount. However, replay appeared to show that Burfict didn’t stomp on Blount at all. If he stomped on him, that’s surely enough for a suspension, but if he didn’t, he shouldn’t be punished at all.

Burfict’s history affects the NFL’s judgement. There’s no player in the NFL who is under the microscope more than Burfict. With three games on the sideline in 2017, he’ll eclipse more than $1 million worth of fines and forfeitures due to league punishments.

The reality is that if any other player delivered the hit on Sherman, it would have had a strong chance of going unnoticed. And if that hypothetical player was punished, they probably would’ve had a much better chance of having the suspension erased after an appeal.