Vontaze Burfict will have the appeal of his suspension heard next week.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that the appeal will be heard on Tuesday, per a source informed of the situation. Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, will preside over the appeal.
Burfict was suspended for the balance of the 2019 season on Monday stemming from a helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle. The linebacker was ejected from the game early in the second quarter.
NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan cited Burfict's repeated on-field violations when handing down the unprecedented punishment.
"Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures," Runyan wrote. "However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designated to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk.
"Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision regarding accountability measures."
Burfict's punishment could be reduced, like his five-game ban in 2017 for a hit to a defenseless player, which was changed to three games upon appeal.
It's notable that Brooks oversaw the appeal of Burfict's 2016 three-game suspension following a hit on Antonio Brown. At that time, Brooks upheld the suspension.
