Jermaine Burton DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals second-year wide receiver Jermaine Burton, who is coming off a tumultuous rookie campaign that saw him suspended, evicted and left behind on a road trip, has slowly made an impression on quarterback Joe Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor, according to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. Burrow has pointed out Burton's growth in "maturity" as he handles his business this spring. "All he can handle is the present at this point," Taylor said. "I think he's done a good job of that this offseason. He's been in the building. He's in the building outside of work hours, doing his own thing, prehabbing to get his body right. He has attacked practice the right way, and that is what you can control right now, so I appreciate that much." It's a step in the right direction for the 23-year-old former third-rounder, but Burton has a ways to go to get back in the team's good graces.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton was selected with the No. 80 overall pick (third round) in the 2024 NFL Draft after a strong final season at Alabama. However, the 23-year-old played sparingly in his rookie season and caught just four passes for 107 yards on 14 targets in 14 games. At the Senior Bowl this year, Bengals director of player personnel spoke on Burton's status with the organization. "He's done nothing, and he's going to have to start doing something quickly. We knew we were taking a risk. We felt comfortable that we could help him through some of the challenges he's had in the past, and we're going to continue to try to help him," Tobin said. "But this is professional football, and you have to take accountability, and you have to be accountable to your teammates, your coaches, and the team that you're playing for, and he has to figure that out." Burton notably did not travel with the team for a must-win game against the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the 2024 campaign and seems to be falling out of favor with the coaching staff and front office quickly. The speedster could be at risk of being released or traded before the next regular season.

According to Ben Baby of ESPN, Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton will not travel to Pittsburgh with the team due to a coach's decision. The rookie has had struggles finding playing time during his rookie campaign and will now not even be with the team during their must-win game on Saturday evening. This is a telling sign and could suggest the he is beginning to fall out of favor with the coaching staff. He has not logged at least ten offensive snaps in each of his past five games. Throughout the season, Burton has only caught four of his 14 targets for 107 yards. Fantasy managers should expect Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (ankle) and Andrei Iosivas to lead the passing attack once again in the regular season finale.