Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict suspended first three games of 2016

The NFL has come down with the hammer on one of the league’s hardest hitters.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the first three games of the 2016 NFL season. Repeated violations of player safety rules, capped in Saturday’s massacre of a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, forced the league to come down hard on Burfict.

NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks imposed the suspension. It was Burfict’s shot on defenseless Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown that caused him to enter the concussion protocol and helped the Steelers beat the Bengals.

Burfict also was fined $50,000 for a cheap shot on Baltimore Ravens rookie tight end Maxx Williams in a Week 17 incident. He’ll have the chance to appeal both punishments.

It’s clear that the NFL is sending a message: Stop hurting people on the field, Vontaze, or we’ll suspend you for a full season. Or longer.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm