The NFL took a stand this week, suspending Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict the remainder of the season following his vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle.
Le'Veon Bell is glad the NFL took action.
Bell, now with the New York Jets, faced Burfict multiple times while the two were on opposite sides of the Steelers-Bengals rivalries in the AFC North, and he discussed the suspension on Uninterrupted's "17 Weeks."
"There's certain fine lines you really can't cross and I feel like he kind of finds it every game," Bell said, via ProFootballTalk. "It's like unbelievable. The league did what it did. I'm glad they're finally trying to bite down on things like that because we don't want dirty players in the league. Obviously, you don't want guys to not be able to provide for their family. It's not like I don't want him on the field, but I just want him to play clean. If he's not playing clean then other guys can't really provide for their families because they're hurt."
When Burfict signed a one-year contract with the Raiders this offseason, he was adamant that he is not a dirty player. Physical? Yes. Bruising? For sure. But never dirty.
Bell, like a host of other NFL players, believes Burfict is exactly what most people believe him to be.
Sports
"I've played Vontaze Burfict numerous times and there's been a lot of plays that people don't see where it's been dirty," Bell said. "He had a bunch of dirty things on me, but in 2015, the one that kind of hurt me on the sideline, he didn't have to do that."
[RELATED: Sherman defends Burfict's 'old school' hit]
Bell suffered a season-ending knee injury when Burfict contorted Bell's body while tackling him from behind on the sidelines during a Nov. 1 game in 2015.
Burfict is appealing his suspension, and his Raiders teammates have come to his defense in regard to the hit. Even Doyle has said he didn't think the hit was dirty, something Colts head coach Frank Reich clearly disagreed with.
The Raiders will be without Burfict on Sunday when they face the Chicago Bears in London.
