Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton hasn’t exactly had the smoothest transition to the NFL.
The 23-year-old has made two big plays this season, including a 41-yard pass against the Eagles in Week 8. It looked like he was trending upward, receiving praise from Joe Burrow.
“Jermaine is going to be a good player," Burrow said. "He continues to get open and we are going to continue that dialogue that quarterbacks and receivers have to have.”
The Bengals made Burton a big part of the game plan ahead of a must-win matchup with the Raiders in Week 9. They knew Tee Higgins was out with a quad injury, so it felt like the right time to turn to the third round pick.
The rookie responded by being a no-call, no show for the Bengals' mandatory Saturday morning walkthrough.
That forced Zac Taylor to make him inactive for the game—a decision that was made around 24 hours before kickoff.
The Bengals went on to beat the Raiders. Even though he made Burton inactive, Taylor certainly left the door open for the rookie to make amends after the win.
Burton played a season-high 39 snaps just four days later on Thursday Night Football against the Ravens. He caught one pass on five targets for 11 yards.
Burton shared his thoughts on the situation and how he's trying to move past it in a 1-on-1 interview with BengalsTalk.com on Wednesday. He credits a tight knit wide receiver room for helping him grow and move past the issue.
“The mistake I made, those guys did such a good job keeping my head right,” Burton said. “When you make certain mistakes it's like 'Ah, Ah, it keeps you down.' You still gotta move on and be better, know that it's better days ahead, and thankfully, I have guys around me like how I do that keep my head away from everything else such as like media and all of that stuff so I feel like everything is good.”
Mentally, Burton sounds remorseful and determined to move past the issue.
"Things are going to happen, you’ll mess up, and everybody makes mistakes,” Burton said. “As long as you can get up the next day and still put your best foot forward then I don’t think it really matters, I think you’ll be in a good spot.”
As a kid who played at three different high schools and transferred from Georgia to Alabama in college, his connection with coaches has a direct impact on the way he approaches the game.
Burton's eyes lit up when the conversation shifted to Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters.
“I think I made a dramatic change in my game due to the fact that Troy Walters is such a hands-on coach,” Burton said. “It is kinda dope to have a receiver coach like that to be so hands-on with you, and as open as he is, he makes me more comfortable and less afraid to make a mistake and fix it. He stays on me and goes hard, and I feel like that’s why I’ve made such a dramatic change. And also being around guys like Tee (Higgins), Ja’Marr (Chase), and guys like TI (Trenton Irwin), who have been in this and have so much experience. I feel like all of those guys have made me change.”
The young receiver seemed excited to talk about his growing relationship with Burrow. Earning the trust of his quarterback is crucial, especially in a Burrow-led, pass first offense.
“Really great, motivational, positive, and letting each other know what we feel we both did well on a certain play and what can be fixed," Burton said. "Overall, I feel like me and Joe (Burrow) have improved our relationship over these past few weeks.”
After the setback, the two are building trust ahead of Cincinnati’s Week 11 road trip to Los Angeles on Sunday Night Football.
His connection with his teammates and coaches has translated into a newfound motivation to show up and stay on the right track going forward.
“It makes you want to work harder, it makes you want to put smiles on those coaches faces up there because you see how much they trust you, you see when they start to gain trust in you and only you can see exactly when they start to," Burton said. "It’s a bittersweet feeling like these guys really want to see you win, see you succeed, so you want to make them happy and so you just keep putting in work, keep putting in work, day-by-day, day-by-day.”
With Higgins listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, there’s no guarantee the team will have him available in a game that could essentially decide the fate of their season.
A loss on Sunday night would drop Cincinnati’s playoff chances to a dismal 16% according to NFL.com. A win would boost them to 42%.
The Bengals are flying out on Friday, which is one day earlier than normal in hopes of being acclimated and comfortable ahead of the primetime matchup.
"This is one you'll be out there two days in advance," Taylor said. "So we feel good about kind of the reasonings. And it'll be good team chemistry to get out there and spend some time together and then play a 5:30 Sunday night kickoff."
Burton knows how important this game is to the Bengals' season.
“Everybody pretty much knows our potential as far the people in that locker room,” Burton said. “We know what we are capable of and we know that we are a really great team. It’s all about still making sure that you know when things aren’t going your way, getting off track, doing something else, or not sticking to the path which is day in and day (out) working, working, working that’s the only way we can change that’s the only way we can change anything is just coming in every day, every day and doing the same thing.”
Burrow leads the NFL with 2,672 passing yards. If Burton can take a step forward, it could help take Cincinnati's offense to new heights, especially with Ja'Marr Chase playing at an elite level and Higgins on the mend.
“These past few weeks have been insane preparation that I’ve seen from anybody. Like I’ve seen some guys do something where I’m like, ‘OK, like he’s locked in, like he’s really locked in.’ I feel like if everybody keeps that up, then we’ll be good."
