Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict pulled off, arguably, the dirtiest play of the 2017 National Football League (NFL) season earlier today (Sun. October 22, 2017) when they took on the Pittsburgh Steelers.Burfict has had a history of on and off the field issues that seem to get in the way of his performances on the gridiron. These issues extend as far back as his college days when he played linebacker at Arizona State University. He had a tendency to pick up unnecessary personal foul calls due to his inability to control his temper. For this reason some teams hesitated on drafting him when he declared for the NFL, however, his talent on the field was undeniable.His issues on and off the field greatly affected his draft stock, as at one point he was considered a top ten pick, he actually went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. The reason for this was mixed with his issues on and off the field, a poor performance at the NFL players combine, and the fact that he tested positive for marijuana at the combine as well.Although nobody drafted Burfict after a sloppy pre-draft build-up, the Cincinnati Bengals decided to take a chance on him and sign him to their roster. He wound up making the team and eventually became a starter for the team. His issues from College followed him over into the NFL, however, as Burfict continues to get called for personal fouls and is widely disliked by players across the league. He has had numerous penalties called on him for hitting a defenseless receiver, and Panthers tight end Greg Olson accused him of intentionally trying to injure him and his quarterback Cam Newton by twisting their ankles after plays.Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger accused Burcift of targeting him as well back in 2015. Today Burfict and the Steelers met each other once again, and he didn't disappoint when it came to going after another player in unsportsmanlike fashion.On just the second play of the game video captured Burfict kicking a Steelers player in the face after a tackle, but the referee didn't do anything about it afterwards. Check it out:
What are your thoughts on Burfict kicking the Steelers player in the face? Do you think he should have been automatically ejected from the game for the incident? Or was it an accident and the referee made the right call in not issuing any sort of penalty for the action? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
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