Jermaine Burton Has An Entire Organization Desperate For Him To Grow Up
Credit: Cara Owsley via Imagn Images
Picture the scene at Bengal Jim’s Before the Roar tailgate around 11am on Sunday. There’s fun, food, jokes about the return of former coach Marvin Lewis, who, like my Tinder profile, spent over a decade in Cincinnati and produced no significant results. It was a good time.
That is, until word began to spread about Jermaine Burton, and that word wasn’t good.
The reporting on why Jermaine Burton is a healthy scratch goes beyond what I could have imagined.
Built a gameplan featuring him, had to scrap it late in the week because he just didn't show up Saturday? Saying they'll address it after the game? Beyond the pale.
— Jake Liscow (@JakeLiscow) November 3, 2024
Merely days after being made a key part of the game plan, Burton missed a walkthrough on Saturday. That’s already a big no-no, but the icing on the cake for him being made inactive was when he showed up to the game on Sunday in his jam-jams. We wish we were kidding.
Jermaine Burton arrives in PJ pants. Told us on Thursday that “baby steps” to becoming a pro included getting out of bed in the morning. https://t.co/CvcbH1hxh8
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) November 3, 2024
It was a massive lost opportunity for the rookie receiver. The Bengals were already dealing with Tee Higgins and Charlie Jones being inactive due to various injuries, who needed Burton to step up. That he forced the team’s hand to scratch him despite the thin receiver corps makes it even more frustrating.
That said, the team isn’t turning it’s back on the young receiver. The opposite in fact. They seem desperate for him to succeed and, given the future of the offense, beyond willing to support him.
Zac Taylor insisted that, while making Burton inactive was “absolutely the right decision”, his role as a key piece of the offense in the future will still be there.
“He’s a guy who’s going to have a really good career here, and we’re going to support him,” Zac Taylor said. “He wants to help us win and do things the right way, and today was just a necessary step we had to make. But we’re going to get him back in the fold and keep him moving along in becoming a pro. And there’s a lot of things to love about Jermaine. His best days are in front of him, so we’re going to make sure he achieves that.”
His character issues were public knowledge prior to the 2024 Draft, and they have only exacerbated as his rookie season has unfolded. When he was asked about his tumultuous rookie season, he seemed to allude to wanting to prove himself on the field, rather than his maturity off the field. That’s not where the priorities need to be right now.
Asked if he has any regrets about the way he approached the first few months of the season, #Bengals rookie WR Jermaine Burton said:
"I can't put myself in the game. Personally, I feel like I could have been (making) plays."
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) October 31, 2024
However, the Bengals recognize his talent and what he can bring to an offense that would deeply benefit from his ability as a deep threat. Burton has a mere two catches in 2024, but those catches were for 47 and 41 yards, respectively. It makes him the NFL’s leader in yards per catch, at 44 yards. Unfortunately, he still has to adjust to being a professional.
“Jermaine is going to be a great player. You just have to do the little things right,” Joe Burrow said. “He’s a guy that has a demeanor that you like. You like his energy. He practices hard. He has a chance.”
Burton has the good fortune of being associated with a locker room that desperately wants him to succeed, and he is not expected to face any further discipline, according to Taylor. That said, the team is fully aware that his talent can only get him so far.
“When you get to this point in your career, you gotta grow up,” Mike Hilton said. “You’re a grown man. Nobody is going to baby you anymore. We know how talented he is and how much he can help, but he has to grow up and just mature and realize he’s gotta put the team over himself.”
The Bengals are attempting to rally around the rookie receiver, and they hope that the maturation process takes place sooner rather than later.
“It’s a special situation,” Sam Hubbard said. “Me personally, I just want to make sure he’s all right, see if there is anything I can do to help him. Be there for him if something comes up. Young guys, sometimes they just need someone to be on their side and help them through this. Because you never know what people are going through. I think that this organization is a great place to be for guys that just need a way to learn how to be a pro.”
Burton has a promising future in Cincinnati, as long as he stops getting in his own way. The locker room is behind him, and they understand that he’s still a young player who is adjusting to life as a professional. Despite his talent, the team has to focus on winning games, especially as they find themselves at 4-5 and in a must-win situation as they face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
Burton could be a difference-maker in that game. Baltimore is one of the NFL’s worst teams in terms of pass defense, and maximizing Burton’s ability could keep the Bengals competitive. In addition, once Tee Higgins returns from injury, the combination of Chase, Tee, and Burton would give the Bengals the trio of receivers necessary for an explosive offense.
Burrow typically heats up in the second half of the season, and the Bengals would love Burton to be a part of that. He’s an immensely talented player, which will give him plenty of chances, but the organization has shown that they are willing to put the betterment of the team ahead of the issues of one player. That said, the locker room is behind him, so now it’s up to the rookie receiver to be a professional and a team player.
“I still think that his best days are ahead of him,” Taylor said. “We’re going to help him get there. He wants it for himself, we want it for him as well. Sometimes, you have to do things that are like what we did to help him get to that next part. He understands that and we’re going to help him get there.”
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