Bengals QB Joe Burrow Throws Support Behind Jermaine Burton and His Redemption Project

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals only had six draft picks this year, but there is hope they add a de facto seventh.

After a calamitous rookie season in 2024 in which he caught four passes and played only 130 snaps, wide receiver Jermaine Burton could feel like a new addition to the offense this season.

Multiple transgressions from arriving late to meetings to being a no-show at practice to an eviction and an accusation of assault drew consternation from teammates, coaches and the front office, but Burton remains on the roster as a reclamation projection.

Both head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Joe Burrow threw tepid support behind the third-round pick during their news conferences following Tuesday’s practice.

“All he can handle is the present at this point,” Taylor said. “I think he’s done a good job of that this offseason. He’s been in the building. He’s in the building outside of work hours, doing his own thing, prehabbing to get his body right. He has attacked practice the right way and that is what you can control right now so I appreciate that much.”

Burton was a consistent presence in the facility during draft weekend when few other players were around.

He’s turned down interview requests, but there appears to be a different, lighter air about him.

“I think he’s stepped up this year so far, has taken it very seriously, has matured it seems like,” Burrow said. “That’s exciting to see. 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.”

The Bengals did not draft a wide receiver or sign one in free agency, leaving him anywhere from fourth to fifth on the depth chart depending on how Charlie Jones returns from a groin injury that cost him the final nine games last year.

Kendrick Pryor and Isaiah Williams would shoot past Burton if there’s another transgression after all of the second chances he received in 2024, as director of player personnel Duke Tobin alluded to at the Combine, when he said Burton had “done nothing, and he's going to have to start doing something quickly” to earn a roster spot.

“I can’t want it more for him than he wants it for himself, and he’s going to have to demonstrate that,” Tobin said. “He’s an immensely talented guy. We’re not giving up on him, but he’s going to have to start showing it now, and he’s going to have to take the next step in his career.

“I’m hopeful,” he added. “I don’t dislike Jermaine. I like Jermaine. And he could add a lot to us. But he’s going to have to want it for himself more than I want it for him.”

As the Bengals move into Phase 3 of the offseason, it appears Burton is doing what he can to prove to the team that he wants it.