Former Cincinnati Bengals wideout Jermaine Burton is looking to get his NFL career back on track. Burton was cut after two seasons with the Bengals despite the team investing a third-round pick on him in 2024.
On April 26, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported, citing sources, that Burton will take part in the Buffalo Bills‘ rookie minicamp as he attempts to get back into the league.
During his time in Cincinnati, Burton had off-the-field incidents. The wideout was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute where he choked and hit his ex-girlfriend, per an incident report filed by police and obtained by ESPN in January 2025.
There was also the incident in which his previous landlord filed an eviction notice and a civil lawsuit against him for nonpayment, per the report from Ben Baby of ESPN. Before the Bengals even drafted him in 2024, there were concerns over his conduct.
In 2022, a video on social media appeared to show Burton hitting a woman in the head as she ran onto the field after Tennessee’s win over Alabama, per the same ESPN report.
“It was something that we talked about with him just to hear what he had to say about it,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in 2024 about that incident (h/t Ben Baby of ESPN). “We did our research on all these guys that we’ve talked to and made sure we’re aware of every incident they’ve been a part of.”
Bengals Take Chance on Another WR With Character Concerns
During the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bengals again took a chance on a wide receiver with character concerns. At the end of the fourth round, the Bengals decided to select former Georgia Bulldogs wideout Colbie Young. Nonetheless, the decision isn’t without controversy, given the player’s off-field issues.
Young missed parts of the last two seasons with a fractured leg and a suspension after being charged with battery and assault on an unborn child, with those charges later dropped, per Jaron May of WLWT.
After making that decision, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke to the media on April 25 and explained why the team is taking a chance on Young despite his past issues.
“There have been times I have signed up for a great risk in the past,” Taylor said (h/t Jaron May of WLWT). “I have put my hand up when there are maybe some of those red flags. This is one I feel great about because you go through the process over the last seven years, and guys I have had to spend a lot of time with once we acquired them and got them in here, guys I wanted, and sometimes it is more difficult than others.
“This is one I feel great about, and I feel great that everyone is going to feel that when they get a chance to see both these guys in the locker room and get around them and get to know their personalities more. I feel extremely comfortable. I am good.”
Colbie Young Addresses Off-the-Field Concerns
Meanwhile, Young also spoke with the media on April 25, discussing the off-the-field concerns any team would have and offering a message for anyone with trepidations about this selection.
“For them to take me in this round, this pick right now, there is nothing but love and respect for them,” Young said (h/t Mike Petraglia of ESPN 1530). “I respect that. They are getting an individual who is not really portrayed on social media.
“They are getting a guy who is ready to work, someone who wishes he had more time and was able to put more tape out there in college. For them to trust me and take me with this pick right now, there is nothing but love for Cincinnati.”
Insider Shares Major Bills Decision on Bengals Draft Bust