Last season, the Cincinnati Bengals took a chance on Jermaine Burton, who has immense talent but also carried baggage from off-the-field issues spanning several years. In his rookie season, many of the character questions that had plagued him before the draft came to light, as he was reportedly late for meetings, not attentive in practice, and had also faced more serious allegations involving a 19-year-old woman he was dating. Burton burned the team badly, as they had planned to consistently integrate him into the offense to take pressure off Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In 2025, a switch seemed to go off for the sophomore wideout, and he seems like a different player both in practice and in his personal life. The offensive staff is counting on big things from number 81, so let’s examine his road to redemption.
Cincinnati Bengals Beat: Jermaine Burton’s Road to Redemption
Trust Issues
When you have a quarterback of the quality of Joe Burrow, you better be willing to put in the work and be where you’re supposed to be at all times. Burton failed QB1 on multiple occasions, en route to trust issues that he couldn’t recover from. This resulted in benching and reduced snaps, which allowed Andrei Iosivas to take control of the WR3 role.
Burrow has taken note of the work Burton has put in this offseason and how he’s matured as he stated in OTAs, “I think he’s stepped up this year so far, has taken it very seriously, and has matured, it seems like. That’s exciting to see. Based on the conversations we’ve had, he’s in a good spot mentally and physically, and he’s been working hard, which is exciting to see.”
If this trend continues, it could help take the Bengals’ offense to even greater levels with Chase, Higgins, Iosivas, and Burton all providing legit options to win their matchups on every snap.
Consistency Is Key
Life in the NFL can be tough, and the transition from college to the professional level is eye-opening for some players. It seems like this was the case for Burton, where it’s now your job, and you must do the simple stuff well. This is a concept he couldn’t grasp, even with an excellent support system. There’s no excuse anymore, and the team is done holding your hand when you need to be accountable for your actions daily. The next step for Burton is to be more consistent on the field and sensible off it.
Eyes on Training Camp
It will be fascinating to see how Burton performs in training camp and where Cincinnati has him on the depth chart. He has a long road ahead to climb out of Zac Taylor’s and Burrow’s doghouse, and if he emerges unscathed, he can finally be let in to live a life the Bengals have always envisioned.
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