Vontaze Burfict Reacts to Myles Garrett’s Suspension, Comments on ‘Total B----’ Roger Goodell

The Raiders LB told The Athletic that he sees no comparison between his hit on Jack Doyle and Myles Garrett's Thursday night incident.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In late September, Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 regular season as well as any playoff games following his hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle and previous rule violations.

But Friday, the 29-year-old Burfict made it clear that he doesn’t want to hear comparisons to Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s incident with Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph.

“The NFL had to suspend somebody for that last night, since that wasn’t a football act,” Burfict told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, speaking publically for the first time about his suspension. “My suspension was a football act. I was hitting somebody. I wasn’t taking a helmet off and swinging it at somebody.”

Burfict told The Athletic that he turned Thursday night's game off after watching Garrett strike Rudolph, saying “that’s not part of football. I hit people on the field during the game.” 

However, he admitted to seeing his name “everywhere” following Garrett’s brawl with the Steelers' QB.

The Arizona State product also defended his Week 4 hit on Doyle, saying that he was making a football play. He said he received no warning from the league that his next infraction would result in a year-long suspension, adding that the NFL had made up its mind throughout the linebacker's appeal process.

“I met (commissioner) Roger Goodell in New York and he was a total b----,” Burfict said. “He was a b----. He didn’t let anybody speak, he rushed us in and out of the meeting. The meeting was bulls--t. He already had the suspension in his hand.”

The eight-year veteran has played in 79 career games, tallying more than 600 tackles and five interceptions. The Raiders signed Burfict to a one-year, $2 million deal in March.

He said he plans on continuing his career and will be eligible for free agency after this season.

“I didn’t do s--t wrong, I hit a tight end," he said. "It could have been a fine, whoopy-de-doo. But there’s people out there assaulting people with helmets. That’s an assault with a deadly weapon.”