The Bengals’ inactive list for Sunday’s game against the Raiders included a surprising name.
Wide receiver Jermaine Burton was left out of the lineup despite quarterback Joe Burrow and others mentioning that the third-round pick was ready to step up with Tee Higgins dealing with a quad injury. Reports indicate that Burton missed the team’s walkthrough on Saturday.
Head coach Zac Taylor didn’t go into detail about why Burton was inactive, but he mentioned it was a necessary response to events that occurred late in the week.
“Jermaine was a big part of the plan, and as the week went on, a lot of positive things were being said about him,” Taylor said, according to a team transcript. “That was all true, but late in the week we just have to make sure we handle everything the right way.”
“I can say it was a tough choice to make him inactive, but it was definitely the right call based on all the information we had. He’s someone who I believe will have a very successful career here, and we will support him.
He wants to help us win and do things correctly. Today was just a necessary step we needed to take, but we will get him back involved and help him grow into a professional. There are many great things about Jermaine, so his best days are ahead, and we will ensure he reaches that.”
While he was at Alabama, Burton hit a female fan during a game against Tennessee, and former Alabama coach Nick Saban mentioned that the wide receiver needed to work on his “emotional maturity” as he moved into a professional role. Taylor expressed during the draft that he was comfortable with Burton and reaffirmed that on Sunday, but it’s clear that this is still a process for the rookie.
