The Steelers were already tired of Vontaze Burfict.
But after their latest win over the Bengals, they expressed their disgust with the linebacker, with a number of players saying he should be suspended for his shoulder/elbow to the head of Steelers wideout Antonio Brown.
They’re apparently not going to get their wish, but that doesn’t change their feelings for him.
“That’s pathetic. The NFL has to do something about that,” right tackle Marcus Gilbert said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. “A guy like that, going out there intentionally trying to hurt people, there’s no need for that kind of playing in this league. It’s sad. One of these days he’ll grow up.”
Brown was being tackled by two other Bengals when Burfict came in late, leading with his arm to Brown’s head. Brown stayed down for a moment and was evaluated, but returned to the game. No flag was thrown.
Brown called it a “nasty hit,” and was thankful he was able to return at all.
Because of numerous suspensions, Burfict hasn’t played more than 11 games in a season since 2013. He’s also been involved in plays that left Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger injured, increasing the Steelers’ ire.
“It’s tough to see AB get hit like that,” guard David DeCastro said. “With all the emphasis on quarterback safety, what about a guy like AB: A superstar he is in this league, how much money he’s getting paid, how much he means to this team? A cheap shot like that, I thought was unnecessary. . . . If they want to talk about making this game safer, maybe they will do something. Or maybe they will put in a new rule that no one is going to call when it matters. Maybe it’s a PR stunt.”
Burfict’s teammates, as you might imagine, have defended him throughout the process, but he remains a lightning rod for controversy, particularly in games against Pittsburgh.