The Cincinnati Bengals did not play Jermaine Burton on Sunday, even though the rookie receiver was expected to have a bigger role in their game against Las Vegas.
The reason for Burton being benched was not completely clear. Coach Zac Taylor called the choice “a necessary step.”
“We just got to handle our business the right way, and so I can sit here and say it was a difficult decision to make him inactive, but it was absolutely the right decision with all the information we had,” Taylor said after the Bengals’ 41-24 win.
“He’s a guy who’s going to have, I think, a really good career here, and we’re going to support him. And he wants to help us win and do things the right way.”
With Tee Higgins out due to a quad injury, 23-year-old Burton was expected to play more against the Raiders.
In his first NFL season, Burton has made two catches for 88 yards in seven games. There were concerns about his character before he was picked by Cincinnati in the third round of the draft, but Bengals coaches and teammates have praised his recent play and improvement.
Quarterback Joe Burrow mentioned that Burton’s more experienced teammates would talk to him.
“We’ll have discussions, just like with any young player,” Burrow said. “You’re going to try to help him along any way that you can. As he gets older, he’ll understand things in a different way. He’s a young player right now.”
