Bengals Receiver Jermaine Burton Issues Statement, Update on Injury After Missing Practice

Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton issued a statement on social media after missing practice on Sunday.

The 24-year-old receiver made it clear that his absence was due to injury.

"Several posts and headlines have circulated regarding my absence from on the field yesterday. Unfortunately, some of these reports have omitted important context, leading to false assumptions about my commitment and character," Burton said in a statement. "To be clear—my absence was DUE TO INJURY, not for any other reason. Any suggestion otherwise is simply untrue. I take my role with the Bengals and my preparation for this season seriously and I am focused on recovering and getting back on the field as soon as possible."

The second year pro is hoping to bounce back after an underwhelming rookie campaign. He finished with four catches for 107 yards as a rookie. The Bengals took Burton in the third round (80th overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.

"He made a lot of plays early in camp. Jermaine's best when you when you can get him in a true one-on-one matchup down the sideline," Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said on Sunday. "He can track the ball in the air. He's got tremendous ball skills, [he] didn't have a lot of opportunity to show that the other night. The single word I keep coming back to Jermaine is just consistency, right? You don't have a lot of opportunity the other night. How do we respond? How do how do we go about our day-to-day professional job? And that's that's we'll just continue to be the emphasis with him."

Burton wasn't at Sunday's practice, but was in the locker room afterward. He declined to talk to reporters.

"I appreciate those in the media who report responsibly and truthfully. For those who do not, understand that misleading headlines, your clickbait articles at the expense of my reputation and selective wording have real impacts not just on me, but on my family, teammates and fans," Burton wrote. "Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support. I'll be back out there soon, and I look forward to continuing to work hard for this team and our fans."

He was a healthy inactive for multiple games as a rookie, including a November matchup against the Raiders. He didn't play against Las Vegas after being a "no call, no show" for a Saturday walkthrough.

Sunday was the first time Burton missed a training camp practice. He had one catch for three yards in the Bengals' preseason opener against the Eagles. He did have an explosive 32 yard punt return.

Burton is clearly Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas in the wide receiver room. He's currently battling Charlie Jones for snaps on offense. The 24-year-old does have rare downfield ability that could help compliment the rest of the Bengals' weapons.

Check out his full statement below: