Mar 18, 2019 3 min read

The Bengals stuck with linebacker Vontaze Burfict through all his troubles, including a hit to Antonio Brown’s head that led to a playoff loss. They finally released him on Monday after a season of below-average performance.

During seven seasons with Cincinnati, Burfict was repeatedly suspended by the NFL for egregious hits and violating its policy on performance-enhancers. He was fined regularly for hits that crossed the line, most notably the one to Brown’s head that helped the Steelers rally for an 18-16 playoff win in the 2015 season.

Through it all, the Bengals stood solidly behind the linebacker and gave him contract extensions. His significant fall-off in performance last season led them to finally cut ties.

“As we continue to build our roster for the 2019 season, we felt it best to give both the team and Vontaze a fresh start,” new Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Vontaze has been a good player here – the team appreciates that, and I know a lot of fans appreciate that – but our focus is on the future.”

Burfict, 28, was suspended for the first four games last season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers, his third straight season with a suspension. A hip injury and concussions limited him to seven games with only 33 tackles, no sacks and no interceptions, by far the worst performance of his career.

Owner Mike Brown and former coach Marvin Lewis had defended Burfict through all his misdeeds, while he still made an impact on the field. Lewis was fired after a 6-10 finish last season, the Bengals’ third straight losing season, and now Burfict is gone, too.

Ngata retires: Haloti Ngata found a unique way to announce his retirement from the NFL: from atop Mount Kilimanjaro.

The 35-year-old Ngata, who played with the Eagles last season following three years with the Lions, was at his best with Baltimore. He made two All-Pro teams and five Pro Bowls with the Ravens in nine seasons after being a first-round draft pick in 2006. He won a Super Bowl with them in February 2013.

The defensive tackle posted his retirement message Monday on Instagram.

“Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude,” Ngata wrote. “Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I’m retiring on top. I might be finished playing football, but I’m holding tight to the friendships, memories and wisdom I’ve gained along the way. Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it. Walking away with no regrets, just peace in knowing I gave it my all and had a helluva lot of fun doing it.”

Roberts returns to host draft: Robin Roberts is returning to sports for one night, hosting ABC’s coverage of the first round of the NFL draft April 25.

The “Good Morning America” co-host was with ESPN from 1990 until 2005. She helped cover the draft and was a regular part of “NFL PrimeTime.”

While ESPN’s broadcast will focus on the Xs and Os of draft prospects, as well as how they will fit with their new teams, ABC’s coverage will be geared more toward looking at what players overcame to get drafted as well as the role of their families along the way.

Roberts will be joined by the “ESPN College GameDay” crew for the coverage. This is the second year the draft will be on network television. Fox teamed with NFL Network for the first two nights last year.