Cincinnati Bengals wideout Jermaine Burton popped up in headlines recently for being one of the players absent from the bye week practice attendance sheet.
The Bengals quickly noted that Burton wasn’t at the practice mostly composed of first and second-year players due to an illness. But the occasion got onlookers talking about Burton again.
As it turns out, it’s more of the same on the Burton front.
Asked about Bengals players not getting a shot amid a seemingly lost season, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. had this to say about Burton: “Many of the same problems from last year have persisted off the field. There is little to no trust in him among the staff.”
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Considered a risky third-round pick with first-round talent in 2024, Burton’s rookie season was plagued with issues, arguably none bigger than allegedly missing a Saturday walkthrough before a game he was set to play a role in, earning reprimands from the team and even Joe Burrow.
In September, Burton was reportedly late for practice before a Week 4 game and has been a staple of the inactives list for most of the season. That, despite an opportunity for him to contribute on special teams and third wideout Andre Iosivas struggling behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the base offense.
Burton is one of many brutal-looking draft picks for the Bengals in a 2024 draft class that looks like a disaster. Among the many problems, the team’s other third-round pick, McKinnley Jackson, has already requested a trade.
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