CINCINNATI -- For the first time since his Bengals lost January's wild-card round playoff game to the Steelers, owner and president Mike Brown issued his public support Tuesday for embattled linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whose controversial penalty in that game helped set up Pittsburgh's winning field goal.
Because of that unnecessary roughness penalty and his broader history of similar personal foul infractions, Burfict was suspended by the NFL for the first three games this upcoming season.
"Burfict is one hell of a football player," Brown said at the Bengals' annual pre-training camp media luncheon.