Just one day after getting cut by the Bengals, Vontaze Burfict has a new home — and in that home lives an old friend.
Tuesday, Burfict signed a one-year deal with the Raiders, linking him with former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.
If you needed a reminder, Burfict knocked Brown out with an illegal shot to the head during the Steelers' 18-16 Wild Card victory over the Bengals in the 2015-16 postseason. That hit caused Brown to miss the Steelers' Divisional Round matchup vs. the Broncos, and the team went on to lose, 23-16.
To their credit, both Burfict and Brown have already addressed the potentially awkward situation in a positive manner.
Vontaze Burfict on new teammate/old nemesis Antonio Brown: "We're on the same team. It's one goal. It's all positive, man. He's a great player. He's gonna be in the Hall of Fame one day."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 20, 2019
Just talked @King55Tez black and silver baby #RaiderNation #BullySeason
— Antonio Brown (@AB84) March 20, 2019
Burfict has not played a full 16-game season since 2013, when he racked up 177 tackles and earned both second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Last year, Burfict played just seven games due to injuries, including two concussions in the span of three weeks. In his career, Burfict has sustained seven documented concussions.
HUNTER'S VIEW
There's no denying Burfict was once a top-tier inside linebacker, but it's hard to envision him contributing meaningfully in Oakland. At 28 years old, Burfict has sustained multiple concussions — and those are just the documented cases — and he also required surgery following a meniscus tear in 2014.
Since his stellar 2013 campaign, he's played: Five games in 2014, 10 games in 2015, 11 games in 2016, 10 games in 2017 and seven games in 2018. In his past two seasons, he has 99 total tackles, zero interceptions and one forced fumble combined.
All that considered, it's safe to say Burfict's best days are behind him. The Raiders did rank 26th in total yards allowed and dead last (32nd) in points allowed per game, so there's no doubt they need help on the defensive side of the ball.
I just have a hard time viewing Burfict as the answer there. For a team already ingesting a healthy scoop of drama in Brown, this feels like a volcano just waiting to erupt.
