Bengals’ Jermaine Burton gets most important praise — from Joe Burrow

First, it was Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor praising the progress of wide receiver Jermaine Burton.

Now? It’s the most important man on the roster — quarterback Joe Burrow.

This week, Burrow echoed many of the same things as his head coach, stressing the differences he’s seen in Burton this offseason already.

“I think he’s stepped up this year so far. Has taken it very seriously. Has matured, it seems like,” Burrow said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Based on the conversations that we have had, he’s in a good spot mentally and physically. And he’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.”

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It’s huge praise from Burrow, considering he essentially seemed to echo comments by Taylor and others last season as Burton struggled with team discipline and later battled reported off-field issues.

If Burton is back on track and reaching for some of that early-round potential, it makes the wideout room around Burrow all the deeper and could, in theory, absolve the front office and Taylor of the risky gamble in the third round of the 2024 draft.

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