Total Pro Sports
Some NFL reputations never fade, no matter how many years go by. Vontaze Burfict knows that better than most.
The former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, infamous for late hits and high-profile suspensions, is stepping into a new role. UNLV football just hired him as a defensive analyst under head coach Dan Mullen. It’s his first coaching job since his last NFL snap with the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Burfict, now 34, hasn’t officially retired, but years of concussions and injuries have made a comeback unlikely.
Burfict reunites with interim defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who coached him with both the Bengals and Raiders. For UNLV, it’s a big-name hire. For many football fans, it’s not something good.
The reaction online came fast and loud.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli cracked, “Take the over on UNLV personal fouls in 2025, y’all.”
Take the over on UNLV personal fouls in 2025, y'all. https://t.co/cYK4mKBKl6
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) August 7, 2025
Another fan wrote, “Nice, he can teach them the fine art of head hunting.”
Nice he can teach them the fine art of head hunting
— dave ryan (@daverya80868469) August 7, 2025
Others didn’t mince words. “If anyone should not be teaching young men how to play football, it’s Vontaze Burfict,” one user posted.
If anyone should not be teaching young men how to play football, it’s Vontaze Burfict
— Cam Stuart (@realcamstuart) August 7, 2025
His track record explains the skepticism. In the 2016 playoffs, Burfict drilled Steelers star Antonio Brown with a helmet-to-helmet shot. The hit knocked Brown out of the game and earned Burfict a three-game suspension. Steelers tackle Marcus Gilbert called it “pathetic” at the time, saying, “A guy like that, going out there intentionally trying to hurt people… there’s no need for that.”
Ben Roethlisberger later recalled Burfict pointing at wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after the Brown hit and telling him, “You’re next.” Even Bengals teammate A.J. Green labeled the play “dirty” the following year.
Burfict’s reputation followed him to Oakland. In 2019, he leveled Colts tight end Jack Doyle with another helmet-to-helmet hit. Officials ejected him on the spot. The NFL then suspended him for the rest of the season, citing his “continued” abuse of safety rules.
Despite the controversy, some fans and former players congratulated Burfict on the UNLV job, calling it a fresh start. Others see it as a gamble. Either way, the man who once defined NFL’s “dirty play” conversation now holds a whistle and a clipboard. And in Las Vegas, where high stakes are part of the culture, that might feel oddly fitting.
Also Read: NFL Superstar Safety Suspended For 12 Games
