Last offseason, the Las Vegas (then Oakland) Raiders emphasized bringing in high-character veterans to pair with the young talent already in their locker room.
For that reason, many people were left scratching their heads when they signed former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who has a checked past filled with multiple suspensions due to helmet-to-helmet hits.
Burfict was beginning to change his reputation with the Raiders though as he took on a leadership role as the defensive signal-called and everyone in the organization had nothing but good things to say about him.
While Burfict seemed to be turning his career around, it all came crashing down in Week 4 when he was flagged for helmet-to-helmet contact once again. The play did not appear to be dirty, but because of how many previous offenses he had, the league decided to make an example of him by issuing a suspension for the rest of the season.
Now that the season has come to an end, it appears the Burfict has officially been reinstated and the Raiders have interest in bringing him back in free agency, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Vontaze Burfict, who played four games last season for the Raiders before being suspended for repeated violations of the player safety rules, was quietly reinstated last month by the NFL and is eligible to play in the 2020 season. The Raiders may be interested in re-signing him.
That’s according to a Raiders source, who said they will continue to evaluate all options at linebacker, Burfict included.
Burfict has already expressed interest in returning to the Raiders, so it seems that this may be a foregone conclusion ahead of the start of free agency in March.
It’s no secret that the Raiders can use help at the linebacker position and bringing back a talented veteran that is familiar with the playbook like Burfict may be a good way to address that. It is a bit of a slippery slope though as if Burfict commits another helmet-to-helmet penalty then the suspension will likely be even longer than the 12-game ban he got last season.
In addition to Burfict, the Raiders will also address their linebacker needs through the draft and other free agents. The top option available on the open market is Cory Littleton, who Las Vegas has already been linked to.
