Report: NFL Finds Another Vontaze Burfict Helmet-to-Helmet Hit vs. Colts

Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict was reportedly informed the NFL discovered another helmet-to-helmet hit he delivered during the team's Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts, which will be taken into consideration as part of the appeal he filed against his seasonlong suspension.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news Friday.

Burfict's suspension stemmed from a hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle.

NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan sent a letter to Burfict to inform him of 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."

Oakland head coach Jon Gruden spoke out about the punishment Wednesday with the team in London preparing for Sunday's clash against the Chicago Bears.

"He knows how I feel—it hurts our team really bad," Gruden said of Runyan, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez and Jeff Dickerson. "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."

Burfict's appeal will be heard Tuesday by Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks, per Rapoport and NFL.com's Kevin Patra.

Justin Phillips is in line to fill the void in the middle of the Raiders defense. Kyle Wilber and Dakota Allen could also draw more playing time.