Oakland Raiders’ veteran linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who is suspended for the season due to what was deemed as a dirty play for his hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle, took exception to the media comparing Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett’s actions in a brawl on Thursday night football, to his actions.
“The NFL had to suspend somebody for that last night, since that wasn’t a football act,” Burfict said, during an interview with The Athletic. “My suspension was a football act. I was hitting somebody. I wasn’t taking a helmet off and swinging it at somebody.”
“I don’t want them to see that,” Burfict said. “Because that’s not what I do. That’s not part of football. I hit people on the field during the game. And they say that’s dirty, yeah, whatever. I get hit, too, during the games, so don’t complain. It’s football, bro.”
Burfict still takes issue with how the NFL viewed his hit on Doyle.
“It was bulls—,” Burfict said of the discipline for his hit on Doyle. “I was making a football play. I could see if it was a fine or something, but not a suspension, let alone for the whole season. It kind of seems like there was a target on my head. I mean, there has always been a target on my head.
“There have been times in games when a ref is cussing at me and wanting me to cuss back at him so he can throw me out of the game. Come on, bro. I don’t want to be out there playing against the refs and the opposing team.”
Burfict says that he was not made aware that he was on “final strike”.
“They didn’t, and it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “I see other players make that same kind of play on a daily basis. It was a witch hunt. They were watching everything I do. They watched 171 of my plays this year. Tell me if they watched 171 plays of that linebacker from the Chargers, what’s his name, Thomas Davis? Go witch hunt him.”
Burfict didn’t stop there, he took aim at NFL commissioner Roger Goodell next, and didn’t hold back.
“I met Roger Goodell in New York, and he was a total b—-,” Burfict said. “He was a b—-. He didn’t let anybody speak. He rushed us in and out of the meeting. The meeting was bulls—. He already had the suspension in his hand.”
Burfict states that he showed video of clean plays that he made, along with dirty plays that other players have made against him, but the league didn’t seem to care.
“They didn’t give a f— about that s—,” Burfict said.
Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr spoke on Burfict’s behalf during a conference call, but it didn’t seem to matter to the league.
“That meant a lot to me, but the NFL didn’t give a f— about that s— either,” Burfict said. “Derek Carr, my guy, said his piece about how I was a captain and a great teammate and not a dirty player, and [appeals officer] Derrick Brooks almost cut him off. He said we appreciate you coming on the call, but they didn’t need Derek Carr to vouch for me.
“Brooks made his mind up already. They let me know before I woke up the next day. They didn’t even go in the office, make some coffee and discuss it for a few minutes.”