Over the last couple years, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been Public Enemy No. 1 as far as the Pittsburgh Steelers are concerned.
In the past, Burfict has injured two of Pittsburgh’s star skill players, knocking out Le’Veon Bell and also ending Antonio Brown’s 2016 postseason with a concussion-inducing hit. Burfict has been criticized for the plays that injured the players, facing accusations of dirty play. So are there hard feelings? Maybe not as many as you think.
“We’re cool. No hard feelings,” Burfict said of Bell, via Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Last year was last year. People say what they say. I hit him perfectly. He tried to keep his feet going. He got hurt. I talked to him since his injury. I told him I’m happy to see him back running. I told him he’s going to come back strong.”
The story is the same with regards to Brown.
“I saw him one night at the club,” Burfict said of the star receiver. “I shook his hand and I wanted to say something to him, but the music was too loud. It’s football. You’re going to get hit. He’s a good dude. It’s football. No hard feelings. I was trying to make a play on the ball.”
For what it’s worth, Brown has corroborated Burfict’s story, so maybe there really are no hard feelings on that end. Bell is still expecting the worst from Burfict and the Cincinnati defense, though.
