Raiders News: Jon Gruden, Derek Carr Speak on Vontaze Burfict's Suspension

Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr expressed disappointment Wednesday with the NFL's decision to suspend linebacker Vontaze Burfict for the rest of the 2019 season after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle in Week 4.

ESPN's Paul Gutierrez provided comments from the Raiders' key figures ahead of Sunday's clash with the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

"He knows how I feel—it hurts our team really bad," Gruden said of NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan. "And I'm anxious to see what the appeal says. I'm not happy about it. At all. And I don't want to say anything else about it. I'm obviously upset about it."

Carr added:

"We see other people choking people out, and they're going to play this Sunday. We see other people hitting people in the helmet, and they're going to play this Sunday. And Vontaze Burfict won't play the rest of the year? I think that's a little excessive, if you ask me. I don't think it's fair, if we really got to know the guy. If the people making the decision really knew the guy that we know, inside our building ... he's a great person, his heart is broken because he's not playing football. The guy just wants to play football. We don't get a lot of time to play this game in our lives."

Burfict previously received a pair of three-game suspensions during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals for illegal hits, per Spotrac. He was also the subject of 11 separate fines for various forms of unsportsmanlike contact for his hits on opponents.

Runyan referenced that history in a letter to the linebacker about the suspension:

"There were no mitigating circumstances on this play. Your contact was unnecessary, flagrant and should have been avoided. For your actions, you were penalized and disqualified from the game."

"Following each of your previous rule violations, you were warned by me and each of the jointly-appointed appeal officers that future violations would result in escalated accountability measures. However, you have continued to flagrantly abuse rules designated to protect yourself and your opponents from unnecessary risk.

"Your extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision regarding accountability measures."

Carr said he understood the track record, but he still feels a season-long ban is excessive, per Gutierrez.

"I know the history situation and all that kind of stuff, but this one, especially with what went on during the week, if we're going to be fair, we need to be fair with everybody," he said.

Burfict recorded 18 total tackles and a pass defended through four appearances this season.

Justin Phillips will take over as the Raiders' middle linebacker while the team awaits a decision on the starter's appeal.