Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton could find himself in a larger-than-expected role this Sunday in their Week 1 game versus the New England Patriots. Superstar wideout Ja'Marr Chase remains involved in a contract-related standoff with the team. Chase isn't guaranteed to play on Sunday, potentially bumping Burton up the depth chart.
“We’ll just take it day by day," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor replied to a question about Chase's status for Sunday.
Chase did not participate in Monday's practice. He's been conducting a hold-in, meaning he's present at practice in street clothes to avoid being fined, but is not physically participating in team activities. Chase's demands intensified after Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb signed a four-year extension worth $136 million last week. He’s looking for a multi-year contract agreement that pays him something in the neighborhood of $35 million per season.
The Bengals drafted Burton with the 80th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was selected as a future solution with Tee Higgins expected to play out his tenure with the Bengals this season. Higgins eventually signed his one-year franchise tag after initially requesting a trade. He’s entering another contact year this season and the Bengals know they can’t afford to re-sign him long-term. That prompted Duke Tobin to draft a replacement in waiting like Burton.
It's a bit ironic that Burton could replace Chase in Week 1. He was drafted to eventually play alongside Chase in a revamped lineup following Higgins' eventual departure. The Bengals were prepared either way.
Burton was outstanding throughout the preseason. In three exhibition games, he recorded eight receptions on nine targets for 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Burton only played extensively in the first and final preseason game, posting lines of 3-82-1 and 4-56-1. His touchdowns went for explosive scores of 37 and 21 yards.
Jermaine Burton comes down with 6️⃣ points for the @Bengals!#INDvsCIN on Prime Video
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2024
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Burton completely dominated second and third-stringers during the preseason. The former Alabama standout looked prepared and ready for regular-season action. If the Bengals have to unleash him versus the Patriots, they'll be confident in what he offers quarterback Joe Burrow.
Several advanced stats highlight how dominant Burton was in Cincinnati's exhibition games. The versatile playmaker was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded offensive player in the entire league at 86.1. His average depth of target was greater than 20 yards at Alabama last season, and he averaged 19.62 yards per catch during the preseason.
Bengals quarterbacks enjoyed a perfect passer rating of 158.3 when targeting Burton in coverage. He averaged 1.8 yards after catch per reception and didn't have any drops. Burton essentially played a perfect preseason.
Burton strung together an extremely impressive offseason. The Bengals would obviously prefer to have Chase available for Sunday's Week 1 game, and perhaps talks over his inevitable contract extension will intensify shortly. If Chase's hold-in carries over into the regular season, the Bengals should have full confidence in Burton's ability to help replace his production by making big-time plays in the passing game.
