Vontaze Burfict is embroiled in another hit controversy.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday that the NFL is reviewing Burfict's hit on Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett from the fourth quarter of Sunday's 35-17 New England victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The review will follow standard procedure, but Rapoport notes we should expect a big fine, not a suspension for Burfict.
The Bengals linebacker hit Bennett low on a pass down field from Tom Brady to Danny Amendola. The hit occurred away from the play.
Bennett said after the game that Burfict apologized for the low blow: "He said he didn't try to do it. But it's part of the game. Stuff happens," via USA Today's Tom Pelissero.
Burfict's history will certainly be a factor in discipline. The 26-year-old linebacker was suspended for the first three games this season for repeated violations of safety-related playing rules. He'd previously been fined four times in 2015 alone for such violations.
Whether or not Burfict intended to injure Bennett, the low hit was unnecessary and away from the play. With health and safety a focal point for the league office, a repeat offender like Burfict won't be given the benefit of the doubt on such hits.
