The Bengals have waived WR Jermaine Burton.
Originally a 3rd round pick of the Bengals in 2024, Burton was a 1st round talent who fell in the draft due to off-field/character concerns. At a time when Tee Higgins’ status with the team was up in the air, the Bengals were likely looking for a prospect with upside, who could have potentially replaced Higgins in the future.
Of course, a lot has changed since then. Higgins signed a long term deal with the team, while the off-field issues have followed Burton into the NFL.
Things seemed to be rocky right from the jump. It was noticeable in his first preseason games that he was only playing later on in the 4th quarter, when most high profile rookies are given an abundance of playing time in order for them to gain experience. But with Burton, it seemed like a disciplinary thing. When he did finally get on the field, the splash plays were plentiful, relative to the amount of playing time.
In the regular season, he made his first catch in week 2–a 47 yarder against the Chiefs. But again, he was otherwise stapled to the bench.
Finally slated to get a bigger opportunity in week 9 against the Raiders, he missed a walkthrough the day before, and was suspended by the team.
Burton finished his rookie season with just 4 receptions for 107 yards, as well as 378 yards in the return game.
Going into year two, indications were that he has matured. Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow, and others, noted that his mentality seemed to be different, and expressed excitement over what he might be able to bring in year 2.
However, he suffered a preseason injury, and found it hard to gain the trust of the staff after that. Through week 13, he did not dress for a single game, being ruled out of some with an illness or injury, while spending others as a healthy scratch.
Prior to week 14’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills, it was announced that Burton would not travel to Buffalo, and that he had been suspended by the team. One day after the game, he was waived.
For the Bengals, it was a risk/reward selection that, in the end, did not pay off. Burton will try to latch on elsewhere to revive his career, while the Bengals may look to add a body to the WR room in the coming days.
