Linebacker Vontze Burfict has not appeared in the NFL since a 2019 game against the Indianapolis Colts due to a suspension. He recently made headlines for a different reason while dealing with legal issues. Burfict was arrested in Las Vegas after allegedly attacking a security guard.
According to ESPN, the Clark County Detention Center records show that Burfict was arrested early on Saturday. His bond was set at $1,000 while a hearing is set for Monday. No information was available at the time of the arrest, but TMZ learned that Burfict allegedly attacked a security guard at The Cosmopolitan resort, hotel and casino. He was ultimately taken into custody for misdemeanor battery.
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Multiple sources close to the situation told TMZ that Burfict and at least one other person were on a mission to find Secret Pizza, a restaurant at The Cosmopolitan with an unmarked location. The sources told TMZ that Burfict and his companions were having difficulty finding the restaurant and that they felt that security was following them around. There was reportedly an altercation between Burfict and security, leading to claims that the free-agent linebacker got physical.
Burfict, a former member of the Cincinnati Bengals and then Oakland Raiders, has not played in a game since Sept. 29, 2019. He was part of the Raiders team that faced the Colts but he left the game early due to an ejection for an illegal hit. The league suspended him for the remainder of the season, citing “repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules.”
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan explained in a letter to the linebacker that he was being suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season for multiple violations of the league’s rules. He also said that there were no circumstances in play that led to his hit on tight end Jack Doyle. Runyan said that the league had warned Burfict multiple times about his rules violations.
“There were no mitigating circumstances on this play,” Runyan wrote to Burfict. “Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant, and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game.” Burfict later appealed the suspension but the league upheld it and kept him away from the Raiders for the remainder of the season.
The NFL reinstated Burfict on Dec. 30, 2019, once the season came to an end. He became a free agent at the start of the new league year but did not sign with another team ahead of 2020. Prior to his arrest, Burfict had expressed his desire to continue playing in the NFL.
