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NFL Upholds Oakland Raiders Linebacker Vontaze Burfict's Season-Long Suspension

NEW YORK CITY (KDKA) -- The National Football League has upheld the season-long suspension of Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

"Vontaze Burfict of the Oakland Raiders has been suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2019 season, as well as any postseason games, for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules, including in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts," the league said in a statement.

Burfict appealed the suspension that was handed down after the league decided to suspend him after he put a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle.

NFL's Vice President of Football Operations issued a letter to Burfict when the suspension was handed down.

"There were no mitigating circumstances on this play," the letter read. "Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. You were penalized and disqualified from the game."

The letter also said that due to Burfict's repeated offenses, the league warned him another violation would lead to escalated punishments.

This is the 13th time in eight seasons that Burfict has been fined or suspended.

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