Bengals Rookie Jermaine Burton on his ‘mistake’ and building trust with Joe Burrow

On November 14, 2024By Pranco

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. He appeared to be on an upward trend and earned praise from Joe Burrow.

“Jermaine is going to be a good player,” Burrow said. “He continues to open up and we’re going to continue the dialogue that quarterbacks and receivers need to have.”

The Bengals made Burton a big part of the game plan ahead of a must-win game with the Raiders in Week 9. They knew Tee Higgins was out with a quad injury, so it felt like the right time to move into the third round . .

The rookie responded by being a no-call, no-show for the obligatory Saturday morning walkthrough of the Bengals.

That forced Zac Taylor to make him inactive for the game – a decision made about 24 hours before kickoff.

The Bengals then defeated 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 on Thursday Night Football against the Ravens just four days later. 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 receiving area with helping him grow and work around the problem.

“The mistake I made, those guys did such a good job of keeping my head straight,” Burton said. “When you make certain mistakes, it’s like, ‘Ah, ah, it’s holding you back.’ You still have to move on and get better, know that there are better days ahead, and luckily I have guys around me who love how I do that and keep my mind away from everything else like the media and all that things, so that I feel like everything is good.”

Mentally, Burton sounds contrite and determined to move past the problem.

“Things are going to happen, you’re going to mess up and everyone makes mistakes,” Burton said. “As long as you can get up the next day and still put your best foot forward, I don’t think it really matters. I think you’re in a good place.”

As a kid who played at three different high schools and moved from Georgia to Alabama in college, his relationship with coaches has a direct impact on the way he approaches the game.

Burton’s eyes lit up when the conversation turned to Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters.

“I think I’ve made a dramatic change in my game because of Troy Walters being such a hands-on coach,” Burton said. “It’s kind of great to have a receiver coach like that who is so hands-on with you, and as open as he is, he makes me feel more comfortable and less afraid of making a mistake to create and solve them. He stays on me and goes hard, and I feel like that’s why I 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 those guys changed me.”

The young receiver seemed excited to talk about his growing relationship with Burrow. Earning his quarterback’s trust is crucial, especially in a Burrow-led pass-first attack.

“Really great, motivating, positive and letting each other know what we think we both did well in a particular game and what can be fixed,” Burton said. “Overall I feel like me and Joe (Burrow) have improved our relationship over the last 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 renewed motivation to show up and stay on track for the future.

“It makes you want to work harder, it makes you want to put a smile on the faces of the coaches up there because you see how much they trust you, you see when they start to trust you and only you can see when they start,” Burton said. “It’s a bittersweet feeling like these guys really want to see you win, want to see you succeed, so you want to make them happy and so you just keep working, keep working, day after day. day, day after day.”

Of Higgins listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practiceThere’s no guarantee the team will have him available in a game that could essentially determine 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 take them to 42%.

The Bengals fly out on Fridaywhich is a day earlier than normal in hopes of being acclimated and comfortable ahead of the primetime match.

“This is one where you will arrive two days in advance,” Taylor said. “So we feel good about the reasoning. And it will be good team chemistry to go out and spend some time together and then play a kickoff on Sunday night at 5:30.”

Burton knows how important this game is to the Bengals’ season.

“Everyone pretty much knows our potential as far as the people in that locker room,” Burton said. “We know what we are capable of and we know we are a great team. It’s about still making sure you know when things aren’t going your way, when you’re getting off track, doing something else, or not sticking to the path that is day in and day out: work , work, work, that’s the only way. we can change, that’s the only way we can change anything is just to come in every day, every day and do the same thing.

Burrow leads the NFL with 2,672 passing yards. If Burton can take a step forward, it could take Cincinnati’s offense to new heights, especially with Ja’Marr Chase playing at an elite level and Higgins recovering.

“The last few weeks have been insane preparation that I have seen from everyone. Like I’ve seen some guys do something where I’m like, ‘Okay, like he’s locked in, like he’s really locked in.’ I feel like if everyone keeps that up, we’ll do well.”

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