The Cincinnati Bengals will gear up for Sunday's showdown against the Bills in Buffalo not quite at full strength at a key position group.
No, we're not talking about Tee Higgins here. The star wide receiver is actually back in action after suffering a concussion and missing Thanksgiving's 32-14 win at Baltimore. Great news for Joe Burrow and bad news for a Buffalo secondary that already has its hands full with Ja'Marr Chase.
As stellar as Cincinnati's receiving corps is, though, it could be even better if not for a certain 2024 third-round draft pick being perpetually unable to get out of his own way.
Bengals WR Jermaine Burton doesn't travel to Buffalo for Week 14 with non-injury designation
SI's Jay Morrison reported that Bengals wideout Jermaine Burton wouldn't be on the sidelines for Week 14, instead staying behind for a non-injury reason. Then, it was later announced that Burton was suspended.
#Bengals announce that Jermaine Burton has been suspended for today's game.
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) December 7, 2025
He didn't travel and already was ruled out.
The suspension means he won't get paid.
It will cost him 1/18th of his base salary -- $59,320
The initial news of Burton not traveling with the team was especially notable because Burton popped up on the injury report just before the game versus the Ravens with an ankle injury. He'd returned to practice this week, and given that Mitch Tinsley didn't exactly light it up while starting for Higgins in Week 13, there was at least a chance Burton could be activated this Sunday for the first time all season.
Rather than letting him make the trip and relegating him to his typical status of a healthy scratch, Cincinnati left Burton behind altogether. That's a major indictment of his behavior if there ever was one.
I wrote earlier this week about how much of a no-brainer it was to activate Burton, if only for evaluation purposes, but it goes beyond that.
Burton's explosiveness (four career catches for 107 yards) would add an exotic element to the Bengals' passing attack. Tinsley isn't anywhere near the talent Burton is, and typical WR3 Andrei Iosivas has had an up-and-down 2025 campaign plagued by drops and inconsistency.
The Bengals selected two players in the third round of last year's draft in Burton and defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson. Although the latter has spent plenty of time on the inactives list this season, Jackson is actually starting to get some run in recent weeks amid the defense's rapid improvement. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Burton.
What's most frustrating about this saga is that Zac Taylor and the coaching staff continue to keep the general public in the dark about just what the heck is going on with Burton behind the scenes. Any clarification or revelation on what the core issue is would be ideal. And why keep carrying him on the team for this long if there are zero plans to play him?
Many of you might ask why the #Bengals are bothering hanging on to Burton at this point and I don't have any logical answer other than there is at least one important person in the organization who has much more patience than I can fathom.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 7, 2025
The whole thing is a joke.
It's an awkward stalemate dynamic. Nobody wins. Fans are flummoxed. The offense's maximum potential isn't realized, and they're about to face the Bills' NFL-leading pass defense to boot.
Maybe Cincinnati can't quit on the upside Burton occasionally flashes in practice. Maybe the front office refuses to waive him due to his gaudy draft status. Whatever the case, there appears to be no path to Burton being on the 2026 roster.
So why delay the inevitable? Get this man out of the locker room so all parties involved can get a fresh start and not cling to some ambiguous hope for the future.