How Does Vontaze Burfict’s Harsh 3-Game Suspension Compare To Other Recent Punishments?

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It’s official: Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict will miss the first three games of the 2016 season due to his actions in Saturday’s AFC Wild Card game against Pittsburgh. Between a shoulder-to-helmet hit on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and a very suspicious hit on Ben Roethlisberger that sent the quarterback to the locker room, it seemed like a given that Burfict would be sidelined, and it became official on Monday night.

The amazing thing about this suspension is that the league just doesn’t sideline players for this length of time due to on-field incidents. Sure, a handful of players were suspended for longer stretches this season – most notably former Jets defensive end IK Enemkpali, who received a four-game punishment for punching Geno Smith and breaking his jaw – but that was for an off-the-field event. This year also featured a handful of suspensions for other off-the-field incidents, like Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and former Cowboys running back Joseph Randle getting four games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

As for on-field incidents, it’s really rare to see them go for more than a game or two. The two most recent suspensions for things that happened during a game involved Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib – both got one game for various infractions on the field in 2015. The most recent multi-game suspension for an on-field incident came when ex-Redskins safety Brandon Merriweather committed an illegal hit on then-Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith during a preseason game in 2014 – but he still only got two games. Even when Ndamukong Suh infamously stomped on Evan Dietrich-Smith in 2011, he only received a two-game ban.

If you want to find an incident where: A) the league suspended someone for three or more games and B) it had to do with something that happened during a game, you have to go back to 2006. Then-Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth stomped on the unexposed head of Cowboys center Andre Gurode and received a four-game suspension.

Outside of that, seeing the league suspend someone for three or more games due to something that happened on the field is exceedingly rare.

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