Bengals’ Burfict suspended five games for preseason hit
In Detroit, Stafford signs deal that is larger than Carr’s
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended five games for leveling Kansas City running back Anthony Sherman in what the NFL says is a violation of its player safety rules.
The Bengals released a statement Monday defending Burfict in the face of his latest punishment, which includes other supsensions.
“The film shows that the hit was legal, that Vontaze engaged his opponent from the front, and that contact was shoulder-to-chest,” the statement said.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league’s rulebook bans “unnecessary contact” against players who aren’t in position to defend themselves. Also, the rules prohibit “unnecessary roughness” against a player who isn’t involved in a play.
Sherman was coming out of the backfield during the second preseason game but had his back to the quarterback and wasn’t the intended receiver when Burfict leveled him as the pass went down the field.
The Bengals will open the season with Burfict and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones suspended. The league suspended Jones one game for a misdemeanor conviction in the offseason.
Stafford highest paid
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions have agreed to a $135 million, five-year extension that makes him the highestpaid player in the NFL.
Stafford, who was entering the last season of his $53 million, three-year contract, is now under contract through the 2022 season. The deal is more than the $125 million, five-year contract the Raiders gave Derek Carr this summer.
Detroit drafted Stafford No. 1 overall out of Georgia in 2009. He helped the Lions reach the playoffs last season for the third time in six seasons.
Broncos’ Lynch out
The Denver Broncos might have to carry three quarterbacks on their 53man roster after losing backup Paxton Lynch for several weeks to a sprained right shoulder he suffered Saturday night.
If Lynch’s injury makes him incapable of playing, the Broncos would have to add another QB who wasn’t in their plans. They could either keep Kyle Sloter or grab a quarterback who becomes available when players are cut this weekend.
They’re counting on Sloter to go the distance in their preseason finale Thursday night against Arizona to avoid having to turn to starter Trevor Siemian.
Harbaugh extended
The Baltimore Ravens have given coach John Harbaugh a contract extension, without revealing the length or other details.
Since his arrival in 2008, Harbaugh has taken Baltimore to the postseason six times, with a Super Bowl victory in the 2012 season.
In nine years with the Ravens, Harbaugh is 85-59 during the regular season and 10-5 in the playoffs.
Giants’ DE suspended
New York Giants backup defensive end Owa Odighizuwa has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
A third-round pick out of UCLA in 2015, Odighizuwa played in 14 games last season, missing two with a knee injury.
Chiefs get Ragland
Linebacker Reggie Ragland will get a fresh start in Kansas City after the Chiefs acquired the second-year player in a trade with the Buffalo Bills.
In exchange, the Bills acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft.
Ragland missed all of last season after tearing a ligament in his left knee during training camp.