Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the NFL “quietly” reinstated veteran LB Vontaze Burfict from the suspended list last month.
According to Pelissero, Lewis is working out at Arizona State where his former HC Marvin Lewis is the defensive coordinator. Beyond that, Burfict is committed to returning to the NFL.
Burfict’s new agent, Peter Schaffer tells Pelissero that his client spent the offseason watching tape and focusing on “doing things the right way” moving forward.
Burfict is in line to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Burfict wound up sitting out the final 12 games of the 2019 season for repeat violations of player safety rules following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts TE Jack Doyle. He later filed an appeal, but his suspension was ultimately upheld.
Burfict, 29, wound up signing on with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State back in 2012. He was in the final year of his four-year, $20 million contract when the Bengals signed him to a three-year $38.68M extension last year.
Burfict was set to make base salaries of $5 million (2019), and $6.18 million (2020) over the remainder of the contract when the Bengals cut him last offseason. He later signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Raiders last year.
In 2019, Burfict appeared in four games and recorded 18 tackles and a pass defense.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
