Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict's three-game suspension has been upheld by the league, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. Per Graziano, Burfict, his agent and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL vice president of football operations Troy Vincent after his appeal was denied.
Burfict met with Goodell at the linebacker's request in order to "discuss his behavior and what to do going forward."
That sounds good for Burfict, but seems somewhat disingenuous considering what he needs to do is simply avoid the dirty play that landed him a suspension in the first place. The Bengals will open the 2016 NFL season without Burfict, an impact player, on their defense because the controversial 'backer could and should have avoided the hit that concussed Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown during this postseason.
But it wasn't just the hit on Brown that sunk Burfict. He has a history of questionable on-field behavior, including head hunting hits and ankle twisting, that seemingly left the league with little recourse other than to sit him.
In 2015 alone, Burfict was fined by the league four times for safety-related violations. Burfict was fined three times for three different plays in a Bengals-Steelers game in December.
