Steelers' Nemesis Vontaze Burfict Has Pathetic Response When Asked If JuJu Smith-Schuster Block Was Painful

The Pittsburgh Steelers are members of what is commonly recognized as the nastiest division in all of professional football. The AFC North has evolved since it formed in 2002, with all four organizations being recognized as playoff contenders in recent seasons. The Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been crowned champions many more times than the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Cleveland Browns have yet to win the division. Overall, however, the matchups among the franchises are already hard-hitting and entertaining. There are countless stories throughout the 21st century about how brutal the games can be.

There have been some asinine things that have occurred during games, including the incident in which Myles Garrett assaulted Mason Rudolph with the quarterback's own helmet during a game in 2019. That's just one example, but Garrett doesn't take home the prize for being the most despised rival in the Steel City, despite what happened with Rudolph.

The name Vontaze Burfict will leave most Steelers fans fuming. No one will ever forget when he knocked Antonio Brown out during a playoff game in the 2016 season. It helped Pittsburgh win the game, but was it a head-hunting, brutal collision.

The following season, then-rookie wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, helped Brown get his revenge on Burfict. He leveled the linebacker while blocking in a crucial December contest.

Watching the video will bring back memories for fans of both teams. The two organizations genuinely hated each other and it all stemmed from the hit on Brown. Burfict was recently streaming on Twitch and was asked if the hit from Smith-Schuster hurt. In his typical tough guy fashion, he denied that he felt any pain when posting the clip to his TikTok account.

"Nah, I was trying to get up, but they was trying to say like, 'No, you have to stay down for protocols,'" Burfict said while streaming.

Burfict attempted to grab Smith-Schuster when the receiver was standing over him, but Burfict was not getting up. He got his bell rung and is still refusing to admit that to this day. The hit even landed Smith-Schuster a suspension.

Burfict did say that he was trying to hit Smith-Schuster while he was laying on his back on the ground. He recalled thinking that there was no way he would let the rookie embarrass him like that on the football field.

"B*tch, you ain't getting away with this sh*t," Burfict said.

For anyone wondering, Burfict missed the Bengals' next two games in 2017 after the Smith-Schuster block. He certainly felt it and wanted his revenge a year later when there were claims that he was out to get the wide receiver during a game.

The NFL is a better organization without Burfict in it. He was constantly labeled as a dirty player and some still believe he changed the trajectory of Brown's career after the brutal hit in the playoffs.

Steelers Preparing For Another Brutal AFC North Stretch During 2024 Season

While Burfict won't be around, Pittsburgh is set to play all six divisional games in the final eight weeks of the 2024 campaign. This will ultimately decide the season for the franchise. It's not going to be easy to enter these games all within a span of two months, but nothing can be changed now. The Steelers can't make excuses and will need to have a strong first half of the season to prevent a losing season under Head Coach Mike Tomlin.

Do you think that Burfict wasn't affected by Smith-Schuster's block? Let us know in the comments below!

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