Just a few week ago, the outlook for Cincinnati Bengals rookie receiver Jermaine Burton seemed terrible.
Following strange preseason usage that included fourth-string reps and returning kicks on special teams, a report said Burton faced a redshirt year, aligning with some of the pre-draft concerns that cratered his otherwise immensely talented draft stock.
But Burton broke onto the field in a massive way in Week 2 against Kansas City, linking up with Joe Burrow on a 47-yard bomb.
Burton wasn’t on the field simply because Tee Higgins was hurt and other depth has been unreliable. And he wasn’t on the field because Ja’Marr Chase said what everyone else has been thinking about Burton.
No, Burton has been on the field — and could see even more time — because he’s changing the narrative through his actions.
That much is clear based on what Burrow told reporters on Thursday.
“He’s gotten exponentially better over the last three weeks, I would say,” Burrow said. “You saw him make a big play on Sunday for us. He’s going to continue to carve out his role and continues to have good practices. The more he does that and the more he learns, the more you are going to see him.”
Getting on the right page with Burrow is objective No. 1 for any weapon on the roster. But it’s clear, through Burton’s own words, that better attention to detail and switching up physical habits played a role too, courtesy of CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia:
Jermaine Burton, who Joe Burrow says has gotten “exponentially better”, says he had a 30-minute conversation with Zack Moss and learned a lot. pic.twitter.com/OuACKNMVHw
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 19, 2024
If Burton keeps at this trajectory and the plays keep coming on limited snaps, he’s going to be hard to keep off the field even with Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas as the projected top three.
And even if Burton doesn’t see much playing time the rest of the year through sheer good injury luck for the team, there’s 2025 to think about when Higgins presumably departs, leaving that third spot in the base offense open.
The sudden turnaround for Burton is a quick surprise early this year, and one the Bengals certainly welcome with open arms after taking a chance on him in the third round.
