Why Jermaine Burton Won’t Travel With Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18

The Cincinnati Bengals announced on Friday that rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton will not travel with the team to their Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He has already been ruled out as a coach’s decision, but the Bengals did not immediately announce the reason for his benching.

Internet sleuths revealed that while the third-round rookie is suspended from the Bengals, he is also facing eviction and a lawsuit from his landlord. Not only was Burton left at home, but his home does not even want him there. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Burton, who has had an incredibly troubled start to his NFL career.

According to records from the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, Radius Acquisition LLC filed an eviction case against Burton “and all occupants” of his apartment on December 23. They are also seeking $2,506.33 from him. A court date is set for January 24 to address the issue.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Radius Acquisition was seeking $10,000 “to compensate plaintiff for injury to the premises above and beyond ordinary wear and tear.”

Sounds like he could have wrecked the apartment that the Bengals put all of their rookies in upon being drafted—but that’s just a theory. It remains unclear whether or not the eviction, lawsuit and suspension from the Bengals are all connected. 

In November, Burton went viral for a photo that surfaced of him at a casino after being benched for missing a team walkthrough. In his defense, it’s easy to get caught up in Las Vegas as a 23-year-old. 

The Bengals selected Burton in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the 80th player selected overall.

But the selection did not come without plenty of red flags. After transferring from Georgia to Alabama, the Crimson Tide were upset by Tennessee in 2022. At the conclusion of that game, Volunteers fans stormed the field, and Burton struck a woman who was celebrating in the head.

With uncertainty surrounding star receiver Tee Higgins’ future in Cincinnati, the Bengals likely hoped that Burton would be a younger, cheaper and more serviceable replacement considering his upside.

That has not worked out as he had just four receptions for 107 yards in his rookie season. He has caused more headaches than passes caught so far, and that’s typically not a recipe for a fruitful NFL career.