The suspension is Burfict's fourth during his NFL career, and the third time he's been hit with a ban for on-field incidents. In 2016, Burfict was suspended three games for multiple violations of player safety rules. In 2017, the linebacker was suspended five games for a hit to a defenseless player, which was reduced to three games upon appeal. In 2018, Burfict missed four games for a violation of the NFL's PED policy. The linebacker has also been slapped with multiple fines for illegal hits throughout his career.