Jermaine Burton Must Put Past Behind To Become Bengals Future
Gary Cosby Jr. - Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY Network
As long as Jermaine Burton can stay on the field, the Cincinnati Bengals potentially have yet another talented wideout in the fold. Unfortunately, questions about this have nothing to do with an injury history, but what NFL scouts call “character concerns.” Specifically, these concerns are over him striking a woman who stormed the field at Tennessee after the Volunteers upset Burton’s Alabama Crimson Tide in October.
There’s no downplaying what Burton did to that fan, as it was completely unacceptable. “That whole situation, it was a mistake,” Burton admitted in December. “But a mistake is a mistake, you move past it.” Perhaps Burton moved on, but NFL teams seemed not to. Most experts agreed that Burton was a talented prospect. He put up strong stats for a premier program. But Burton had to wait until Day 2 of the Draft, where the Bengals took him at No. 80 overall.
One look at Burton’s tape shows a wide receiver who is very physical for his 6-foot-0 frame. He also has elite ball skills that should translate into the NFL. Last season with the Crimson Tide, Burton caught 39 passes for 798 yards and racked up eight touchdowns. As good as those stats are, they could have been even better if not for his quarterback missing easy throws with him wide-open.
But that incident in Tennesse will loom over his talent for the foreseeable future. Yes, was the only real incident that has come to light at this point, but based on his college coach Nick Saban’s comments at the 2024 Draft, it looks like self-control has been a long-running issue with Burton. “I really, really like (Burton), but the No. 1 thing that he needs to do — and I think emotional maturity is the best way to say it — is do the right things all the time,” Saban explained on ESPN. “He does the right things on the field. He knows the importance of what he has to do in the field. He wants to be a player. That’s all he thinks about.
“But you’ve got to do the right things in your life all the time so that you can do the best things that you can do on the field and be the best you can do,” Saban continued. “When you get emotional, you make bad decisions and lose your brain.”
Cincinnati can not tolerate another incident of Burton crossing the line, and it will be on them (and, of course, Burton) to ensure nothing like that happens again. If Burton can stay out of trouble going forward and stay on the field, he comes to the Bengals at a crucial time.
The Tee Higgins contract situation is coming to a head, leaving one of the Bengals’ biggest strengths in a state of flux. Even if he plays for Cincinnati in 2024, it’s hard to imagine the team will be able to afford both Chase and Higgins. With Burton, however, they have already drafted a potential replacement. Most pre-draft evaluations discussed Burton being a true No. 2 wide receiver, a perfect running mate for Ja’Marr Chase.
Having an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow will only help Burton quickly acclimate to the NFL, and it’s clear Burton is happy with his fit in Cincinnati. “I don’t care what round I could have been,” said Burton. “If I would have known I was going to this team, I would’ve picked that from the jump.”
Chase and Higgins are good role models to look up to, and both are eager to take Burton under their wing. After the draft, Bengals coach Zac Taylor also talked about how the Bengals believe the maturity that comes with his NFL debut coming at age 23 instead of 21 or 22 will help him in the NFL. “We did our research on all these guys that we’ve talked to and made sure we’re aware of every incident they’ve been a part of,” Taylor said. “There’s certainly maturity things that come with some of these guys coming out of these colleges and that’s one of the things he’ll continue to grow with.”
There is always the concern about character issues that will be in the back of everyone’s mind, but as long as he can stay on the field, Burton has a shot to be an important piece for the Bengals. In 2025, Burton almost certainly will have the opportunity to grab that No. 2 receiver role after the inevitable Higgins’ breakup, and if Burton puts his past behind him, he and the Bengals have a bright future ahead of them.
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