Bengals take worrying step with rookie wide receiver

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton (81) catches a pass for a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner back Zyon McCollum (27) attempts to stop him in the fourth quarter of the NFL preseason game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 10, 2024. Credit: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton appears to have fallen out of favor with the Cincinnati Bengals as his first NFL season comes to an end.

The Bengals announced Friday that Burton will not even travel with the team for their must-win season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Burton will be a healthy scratch for the game.

The #Bengals have announced that rookie 3rd round pick WR Jermaine Burton isn’t traveling with the team for their final regular season game

A troubled season continues for the WR who came into the NFL with several red flags pic.twitter.com/fuHAztY5pQ

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) January 3, 2025

Needless to say, this is a pretty bad sign for a player the Bengals invested a third-round pick in less than a year ago. While the former Alabama receiver had some disciplinary concerns coming out of college, the Bengals took a chance on his talent, but have yet to be rewarded. There were some suggestions that he slept through team meetings before the preseason had even ended, though Burton denied those. Whatever the case, the rookie receiver never carved out a role for himself, even though he was not shy in suggesting that he deserved one.

Viewed by some as a potential long-term replacement for Tee Higgins, Burton caught just four passes all season for a total of 107 yards. His future with the Bengals looks murky at best already.