Bengals coach Zac Taylor believed the team culture was one where Burton could thrive, and his talent as a wide receiver, particularly his ability to create separation, made him an interesting prospect to add to a corps featuring Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
However, Burton has struggled to prove a reliable player in the NFL. The team made Burton a surprise inactive on Nov. 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, just days after Taylor had indicated he would become a bigger part of the gameplan going forward following a career-high 24 snaps in the Oct. 27 game against Philadelphia when Higgins was out due to a quadriceps injury. Burton had missed a walkthrough the day before the Raiders game, and Burton has been known to be late or miss meetings at other points this season.
Burton said later that week he wanted to prove himself to the team and those who doubt he could take care of business as a professional. Quarterback Joe Burrow had said recently that Burton seemed to be learning from his mistakes since missing that walkthrough before the loss to the Eagles.
The rookie wide receiver has appeared in 14 games this season, but has just four catches for 107 yards and has played less than 10 snaps on offense in each of the last five games. He recently got involved in kick returns, making 13 returns for 378 yards.
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