Vontaze Burfict working to clean up play after being reinstated

Vontaze Burfict is ready to resume his NFL career if someone will give him the chance.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Burfict was quietly reinstated by the NFL last month after serving a season-long suspension for another helmet-to-helmet hit. The linebacker has begun working out in the hope of returning to the league in 2020.

According to Burfict’s new agent Peter Schaffer, the linebacker has begun working out at Arizona State, where Marvin Lewis, Burfict’s former coach with the Cincinnati Bengals, is on staff. Schaffer said that Burfict has spent the offseason learning about the “code of conduct” NFL players are expected to uphold and is working to clean up his play and stay within the rules going forward.

From Vontaze Burfict’s agent, Peter Schaffer, who told me Burfict has been working out at his alma mater, Arizona State (where Burfict has an advocate in former #Bengals coach Marvin Lewis). pic.twitter.com/4wa3wCmajQ

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 24, 2020

Burfict has a long history of on-field cheap shots. He hasn’t played more than 11 games in a season since 2013, at least partially because of repeated suspensions for his conduct. The breaking point was two helmet-to-helmet hits in the same game which, combined with his lengthy disciplinary record, led to Roger Goodell throwing the book at him.

Burfict didn’t seem sorry about his conduct in comments he made in November. Perhaps that’s changed. Ultimately, nobody’s going to believe that he can change his act until he actually proves he can do it. Repeated suspensions have failed to address that, so it’s reasonable to be skeptical that this one would really inspire a change in attitude. Still, Burfict is only 29, and if he can clean up his act, he could still have a steady career ahead of him.