“Grossly Overweight” Burfict Misses Bengals’ OTAs

The dead football period between the draft and the start of training camp is supposed to be a time for personal preparation – both mental and physical – as players get set for a return to work. Not so for polarising Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whose excess weight has kept him out of the majority of Bengals OTAs.

Local Cincinnati television analyst and former Bengal Dave Lapham revealed both Burfict and fellow linebacker Ray Maualuga were “grossly overweight” and needed to shed some pounds not only to resume their playing physiques, but, in Burfict’s case, aid the rehabilitation process following microfracture surgery.

“With the microfracture knee repair, you’d think that Burfict wouldn’t want to carry on any extra weight at any time. Particularly during the season, but the offseason as well. Hopefully he’ll be able to get that weight down,” Lapham told Dan Hoard on an ESPN radio interview hosted by James Rapien.

Weight management has been an issue for Burfict since his college days while Maualuga – less of a complete package at linebacker – is considerably slower but relies on strength and play diagnosis to be disruptive.

And while Burfict situation is reportedly not as bad as Maualuga’s – who Lapham claimed “looks real big this time” and has “got quite a bit of weight to lose” – one has to wonder what level of fitness, if any, a player in Burfict’s position is allowed to engage in coming off of lower body surgery.

At any rate, Vontaze’s services won’t be required until at least week 4. He will serve a three-game suspension to open the season as punishment for his cumulative actions in January’s ugly wild card affair with the Steelers. Who knows, maybe he spent the whole offseason gorging on comfort food after going from hero to villain in a matter of minutes on that fateful night.