Is it time for the Bengals to move on from Jermaine Burton?

I didn’t have much of an issue with the Cincinnati Bengals using a third-round pick on Jermaine Burton. I knew about the off-field issues, but he seemed to be a first-round talent, and a third-round pick seemed to be an acceptable risk.

After all, he was endorsed by TJ Houshmandzadeh, and wide receiver was potentially a need.

I still think a third-round pick was an acceptable risk, but, like with all risk, no matter how calculated, there’s always a chance that it blows up in your face.

That’s what has happened with the Bengals and Burton, and if the Bengals were smart, they’d cut ties with him as soon as possible.

In the disaster that was the 2024 season, Burton brought little value to the offense. He played 45 snaps in Week 10 against the Ravens, a game in which Tee Higgins missed and caught one pass for 11 yards. He caught four passes for 107 yards all year and saw fewer and fewer snaps on offense as the season progressed.

It was pretty clear he didn’t earn the trust of Joe Burrow or any of his coaches, and the matter wasn’t helped when he missed a Saturday walkthrough that led to him being a healthy scratch in Week 9. Then, right before the Bengals are heading for a Week 18 must-win game in Pittsburgh, it was announced Burton wouldn’t be traveling with the team.

At first the only news was that Burton was being evicted from his apartment at The Banks downtown, which in itself is weird.

Now we’ve learned that, not only is he being evicted for not paying rent and property damages, but there was a 911 call from a 19-year-old girl who claimed Burton assaulted her. In the end, she declined to press charges but the alleged events she detailed during the 911 call were extremely alarming.

The two had been out together and argued before the incident in the woman’s Oakley neighborhood apartment, reports show. After the night out, police were called and the woman said Burton met her at her apartment, chased her inside, damaged her phone and assaulted her, including choking her. The caller said before leaving, Burton held a knife to his neck and threatened to kill himself.

The Bengals rolled the dice with Burton. They thought maybe he had matured, and they trusted some endorsements, and it appears they got burned. It happens. They used a Day 2 pick on a guy with Day 1 potential who had a history. They’ve done that before, and it worked out.

This time, it appears that won’t be the case, at least not in Cincinnati.

I get that you’re innocent until proven guilty, but there are too many red flags in too short of a time. Missing one practice would be bad enough in your rookie year, but now there’s an eviction because you can’t pay rent on a professional athlete’s salary and a potential assault?

This is potentially the most important offseason in the history of the franchise. The Bengals had a Super Bowl-worthy offense and a JV defense throughout two-thirds of the season. The expensive offensive line needs to be overhauled. The defense needs a new coordinator and fresh faces on the defensive line and in the secondary. There is too much to fix heading into 2025 and the team doesn’t need the distraction.

If Burton can’t grow up in a season as taxing as the 2024 one was under the tutelage of two veteran top-tier receivers, it’s fair to wonder if he will ever get there.

It may be time to let another team figure it out.

What do you think should happen? Let us know in the comments.