Bengals owner on Burfict: ‘Lucky to have him’

3:27 PM ET

CINCINNATI — For the first time since his Bengals lost January’s wild-card 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. “He makes a difference for our team. We want him on the field. And I regret that for three games this year we won’t have him, but he’ll be back then, and we expect outstanding play from him. He’s a difference-maker. We’re lucky to have him.”

Vontaze Burfict received an endorsement from Bengals owner and president Mike Brown on Tuesday. AP Photo/Gary Landers

The Pro Bowl defender was Cincinnati’s third-most prolific tackler last season, despite missing the first six games with a knee injury. To go along with his 74 stops, Burfict also had a sack …

continue reading in source espn.go.com