Vontaze Burfict Released by Cincinnati Bengals

On Monday the Cincinnati Bengals announced they had released linebacker Vontaze Burfict in a statement. Head coach Zac Taylor said that the team decided it was best to give Vontaze Burfict and the Bengals a fresh start.

Vontaze Burfict, who is 28, missed 18 games during the last three seasons. The outside linebacker was not a lock to be on the team this fall. This is despite the extension of $38 million he signed prior to the 2017 season. Burfict played seven seasons for the Bengals.

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However, since 2012 Burfict has $469,000 worth of fines and has received suspensions at the beginning of each of the last three seasons including 3 games in both 2016 and 2017 and 4 games in 2018.

Burfict struggled with a hip problem in 2018 and suffered multiple concussions. He suffered his seventh diagnosed concussion of his career in the NFL in December. As well as that, it was his second in just a period of three weeks.

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While there has been a reluctance to end relationships in the past with veterans by the Bengals, that has changed of recent. Cincinnati did not pick up its option last spring for Adam Jones and cut wide receiver Brandon LaFell and safety George Iloka.

Two seasons remained on Burfict’s contract extension with the majority of the money in base salary. Cincinnati will be hit with $1.8 million in 2018 of dead money after releasing Burfict, but that could be cut nearly in half if he were designated a post-June 1 cut.