Head coach Zac Taylor did not share details behind the suspension or what led to the decision to finally move on from Burton, who had been inactive for the first 12 games of the season, mainly as a healthy scratch.
“Just a decision to make,” Taylor said. “We just made it, going to release him and move on and wish him the best.”
The Bengals selected Burton in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, despite some red flags that followed him in college during stints at Georgia and Alabama regarding his commitment and off-field behavior.
He struggled to learn the playbook as a rookie last year and was known to miss or be late for meetings and practices. During the offseason workout program this spring, Burton seemed to have turned a corner, showing more focus and commitment.
That unfortunately did not carry over into this season, but it wasn’t until this weekend the Bengals finally had enough.
Burton had been a player Taylor especially was excited about at the time he was drafted, and he showed he could be an explosive weapon in his limited time on the field last year. His preparation simply didn’t seem to match the talent.
“I think everybody worked really hard at it and wish him the best,” Taylor said. “Hopefully he gets a change of scenery, and it can do good things for him.”
Asked what changed between the offseason workout program and the start of the season, Taylor again declined to comment but again noted he is “pulling for him to go make an opportunity for himself somewhere else.”
Burton appeared in 14 games last season, but had just four catches for 107 yards. He was set to take on a big role in kick returns late last season before issues with showing up on time became a problem.
He was inactive for a game against the Raiders last November for disciplinary reasons after missing a walkthrough the day prior and was left off the trip to Pittsburgh for the 2024 finale for similar reasons.
Burton was inactive as a healthy scratch the first 11 games this year, then popped up on the injury report with an ankle injury after a walkthrough the day before the Thanksgiving game at Baltimore. He returned to practice last week.
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