The Oakland Raiders were dealt a crucial blow after the NFL decided to suspend linebacker Vontaze Burfict for the rest of the 2019 NFL season for his hit on Indianapolis colts tight end Jack Doyle in Week 4.
Although Burfict had made the trip to London to play with the Raiders against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, news of the suspension spurred him to return home to appeal the decision. The team is now forced to start making preparations for life without him moving forward, while his appeal is expected to take play on Tuesday.
It is no secret that Burfict’s history with suspensions played a part in the significant ruling. Regardless, Raiders quarterback still feels it is a bit much given what occurred around the NFL last week.
According to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez, Carr says his actions paled in comparison to the spat that occurred between Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last week:
“I don’t think he was trying to hurt that man; the man was going down,” Carr said of Burfict’s helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle on Sunday, which triggered the suspension a day later. “You see it all the time — there’s flags flying everywhere.
“We see other people choking people out, and they’re going to play this Sunday. We see other people hitting people in the helmet, and they’re going to play this Sunday. And Vontaze Burfict won’t play the rest of the year? I think that’s a little excessive, if you ask me. I don’t think it’s fair, if we really got to know the guy. If the people making the decision really knew the guy that we know, inside our building … he’s a great person, his heart is broken because he’s not playing football. The guy just wants to play football. We don’t get a lot of time to play this game in our lives.”
There is no question that the actions taken by Humphrey on Beckham were nothing short of a malicious act. Unfortunately, his track record is hardly as extensive as Burfict’s when it comes to violating the league’s code of conduct.
The veteran has missed plenty of time due to suspensions throughout his career, however, this will undoubtedly be the most significant punishment yet. While Burfict is hoping an appeal can potentially reduce the number of games in his suspension, Carr’s frustration indicates it may be safe to assume that he will not be around much for the rest of the 2019 campaign.
